The Reaping
by ParaDocksFF
Summary: Taylor triggers with a power reminiscent of Glaistig Uaine.
1. Chapter 1

The Reaping - Part 1:

I was gasping for breath as I rounded the corner. I had taken up running after...the incident, had decided to get into shape. Even after two months, even with all the improvement that I had seen in myself, I wasn't able to handle this. I collapsed onto the grass, thankful that I had made it to a park before needing to do so.

This might be the worst torture I had ever endured.

"Come on, Hebert. This is pathetic."

I grimaced at the voice. I had been trying to keep my cool all morning, but there was only so much I could take. "Not all of us have Track experience under our belts, Sophia."

"Even without Track, I'd be able to outrun you." Sophia said. "Hell, I've seen toddlers run better than you. No wonder we were always able to catch you so easy."

I felt my grimace grow, and knew I was baring my teeth. _Come on, Taylor. Don't ley her get to you. You're better than this. You have to be.  
_  
"You gonna get up?" Sophia asked. "Or are you gonna give up...?"

The way she said it, I could pick up the subtext. _Are you gonna give up like you always do?  
_  
I took a few deep breaths, relishing the feeling of the air in my lungs, and pushed myself to my feet. I took a quick glance at my watch. 5:37 AM. I rolled my eyes. I used to get up at 6:30 for my runs. I had figured that was early enough.

Sophia had disagreed. My new running partner demanded I get up at 5, and run until 6:30. Apparently it was the same schedule she had kept since she had gotten into running.

I hated her for pushing me into her schedule. Among other things.

I could practically feel her own disdain for me as she spoke. "Bout time. Back to it, Hebert. Don't wanna sit still too long and draw gang attention, do we?"

"No gang members will be up this early." I shot back, starting to move again.

"They could be if they didn't sleep yet."

I groaned, and picked up the pace. It was a valid point. We both knew gang members could easily be up at this time. That they could easily try to take advantage of us.

Just as we knew that would be their mistake. We could take them. Any normal gang member, anyway. Easily, too, with our powers. The only issue would be if one of the Capes involved in a gang showed up.

Even then, I knew that wouldn't be that much of a problem. We could take them.

I could take them, anyway...

"Jesus, listen to you gasp for air. You think you can cut it as a hero when you can't even go for an easy run?" Sophia asked.

"This...isn't an easy...run..." I said between gasps.

"Sure it is." I could hear the joy in her voice. She was loving this. Loved causing me any sort of discomfort.

Even after everything.

We continued in silence. Luckily, one of the few things we agreed on what a hatred for small talk. If neither of us had anything to say, we could let time pass in silence.

For my part, I was able to keep a quick, steady pace until we reached the stretch of this route that I hated the most. One of Sophia's little barbs at me. I knew this had to have played into why she had chosen this route.

I looked the other way as we walked past the cemetery. I didn't need the reminders of my past guilt on my head. I had already suffered enough because of my past decisions.

I would keep suffering, too. Probably forever.

Maybe I deserved it.

"You're picking up speed, now." Sophia said.

I grumbled a response. She knew why I was moving faster. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of hearing me say it. Not again.

We fell back into silence after her attempt to provoke me failed. I glanced at my watch as we finally made it back into my neighborhood. 6:21. My dad would just be getting up to get into the shower.

And he would hopefully not notice that I was gone. He hadn't like me running in the mornings at all. He had been ecstatic when I told him I was switching to afternoon runs. Which, to be fair, I had.

I just hadn't given up the morning runs when I did.

"Well, you weren't as pathetic today as you have been." Sophia said.

"Gee, thanks. So kind of you to say." I responded. "I still say your regimen is insane."

"Hey, I didn't ask to be here, you know? If I'm stuck with you, then you're gonna quit being so pathetic."

I looked down at the ground, as we approached my back door.

"Right..." I decided not to point out that I hadn't asked for her to be here, either. It was, as far as I could figure, as much her fault as mine...

 _Or maybe I'm just trying to lessen my own guilt...  
_  
I sighed as I stopped in front of my back steps. They squeaked horribly, and would have been a dead giveaway that I was coming in. I had learned quickly when I started my runs. Coming in, my father would come running when he heard them.

For the last couple weeks, though? They hadn't been an issue. Not since I found out exactly how my power worked.

I shifted into the Shadow state and floated up, past the steps and through the door. I moved silently through the kitchen, and then up the stairs and to my room. I phased through the door, and only once I was safely in my room did I return to normal.

I went to my mirror and took in the image there. I saw myself, the same way I had looked after my morning runs for the last couple of weeks. Completely run down and exhausted looking. Behind me...was the ghostly form of Sophia Hess. The same ghostly image I had seen in every mirror I looked into since our last real altercation two weeks ago. She looked as angry as usual.

"So..." she began, looking at me through the mirror. "How much longer you gonna drag your ass before going out and doing the hero thing?"

I sighed. It had been a long two weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

-Two Weeks Earlier-

I lifted my backpack and headed out of the classroom. The day had started off...surprisingly well. When I discovered that Emma was out sick, it had felt like a weight off my shoulders.

And then Sophia reminded me why I could never feel safe at school. Apparently, she had decided to make up for Emma's absence and seek me out at any opportunity she could. Most days, I at least got a few breaks. Not today...

And Sophia had decided to be as physical as she ever was. I already had a few visible bruises, and was pretty sure some more were forming.

I had to work to contain myself, keep from losing it completely. It was bad enough when she was just a bully. Knowing she was a cape? That really got to me.

I walked through the hallway toward the rare exit of the school. Very few students used it to leave, since they would need to walk all the way around to get anywhere.

I passed a few other students who were collecting things from their lockers. An act that I had given up since the incident. I knew the school had said that they cleaned it well, but...

I shuddered. There was no way I was going to use that again.

I made it to the rear exit and walked out of the school. There were very few other students out here, as I had predicted. I began walking toward the forest behind the school. I had discovered a little path that cut through the forest one day when Emma and her little gang were waiting for me in front of the school. The path would take me out pretty near a bus stop.

After a few minutes of walking down the path, I felt it. The same sensation I had felt a few times when I was in the hospital, that I had felt during a few excursions with my dad, and that I had felt every day at school since gaining my power.

I turned around and saw Sophia approaching me. I scowled.

"Running through the forest just to avoid me, Hebert?" she asked.

"Following me into the forest just to fuck with me?" I asked.

Sophia shrugged, but her grin gave away that she was really enjoying this. She dropped her bag to the ground and ran toward me. I barely had time to react, but I tried to get out of the way. I still ended up being pushed slightly, falling backwards but not to the ground.

"Why the hell are you doing this? I've never done anything to you!" I said, my anger coming to the surface, a temper that I had inherited from my dad.

"You're pathetic. Always have been, always will be. It's our job to remind you of that."

"You're unbelievable. You...you're supposed to help people."

That gave Sophia pause. Her eyes squinted and she scowled. "What was that?"

"You heard me." I said, walking toward her. "I know you have powers. Wasn't hard to figure out who you were once I figured that out. Only so many capes in this city you could be. And looking for someone who fit your M.O.? That narrowed it down to one, Shadow Stalker."

I knew that was a mistake the second the words left my mouth. I had been dealing with Sophia long enough to know what her response would be. I didn't even have a chance to start working out what to say next when she hit me.

And then I hit the ground.

And then she was on top of me, attacking me more furiously than she had ever before.

"How the fuck did you find out?" she asked between attempts to pummel my face. Luckily I had managed to raise my arms to shield my face after the first few hits.

I began growling as she hit me, and then she started kicking me too. I wanted to end this, to get back at her for everything she had done.

And then I felt it. The same feeling that let me know she was a cape was more...tangible. It was almost as though I could reach out and pull on it. With my mind, at least.

Sophia's attacks were getting harsher, and I felt the tugging happen almost instinctively. Everything slowed down in that instant.

I felt something shift in my mind, and then I noticed Sophia. She had collapsed, stopping mid kick. I looked at her, and saw that her eyes were open, and not closing...that she didn't seem to be breathing.

I approached and checked for her pulse. Nothing.

"Oh shit...oh shit..." My power had done this? It was just a lame power that let me sense capes. It shouldn't be able to...

I stood up fully and turned to run. I wasn't fully paying attention to my surroundings, and found I was about to run right into a tree. I felt something click, and then everything changed.

My body felt light as a feather, and I drifted through the tree. It was...an odd feeling. Looking down, I could see that I was transparent and gaseous.

"This is...Shadow Stalker's power?" I asked myself. I thought on it, and found that I knew how to use it. How to turn it on, how to turn it off, it's weaknesses.

I shifted back to normal, taking another quick glance back to Sophia's body, then started running again, this time paying more attention. I was glad I had taken up running after the locker, since I needed all of the air I could get. I was already on the verge of hyperventilating.

I had just killed someone. One of my classmates. No matter how much of a bitch she was, she didn't deserve that.

Probably.

One of the things that was bothering me the most was that I wasn't feeling quite as horrified as I thought I should. Part of me wanted to chalk that up to all of the torture Sophia had put me through.

Another part just wanted to feel more horrified.

I was on the verge of tears when I finally reached the bus stop. It wasn't helped by what I heard.

"What the hell happened...?"

I glanced around. I was currently the only one at the stop. A bus must have just come. What's more...I recognized the voice.

"Oh great... I'm losing my mind..." I mumbled to myself.

"Hebert?"

I gulped. "It's not really Sophia...it's guilt or something."

"The fuck did you do to me, Hebert?"

"Oh, God. Please stop." _Oh God I've killed someone and I've gone insane.  
_  
"Fucking tell me what you did, Hebert!"

"You're not real..."

"Bullshit I'm not real!" Sophia said. "Now tell me what happened."

I groaned, and looked around. Still no one around. Might as well embrace my craziness for now. If it would make her stop...

"I...think I used my power on you." I said.

"You have a power?" Sophia asked. "...Is that how you knew I was a cape?"

"Yeah, it is. I can sense capes."

"And? Clearly that's not it."

"I...think I killed you, and took your power."

A long pause passed in the conversation. "You killed me...? And stole my power?"

"Unless you're capable of holding your breath for a really long time, and I've always been able to pass through solid objects."

"Well how the fuck did you do that?"

"I don't know. I felt my power kick in, and I kind of...tugged on your power."

"Well untug it and put me back." Sophia yelled.

I thought about it for a second, wondering why I hadn't tried that. Then I shook my head. "I...don't think I can."

"You better try! I swear, Hebert, I'm going to."

"Going to what? You're probably a figment of my imagination, but even if you're not, then you're...what? Just a voice? You can't do anything to me anymore. You fought me, you lost, I won. I was the stronger cape, so shut up and let me think!"

To my surprise, Sophia's voice actually complied, and left me in silence. A few people joined me at the bus stop after a few minutes. Another few minutes passed, and the bus appeared.

I climbed on, and took a seat. I looked into the mirror, and was shocked to see Sophia reflected there, sitting in the seat next to me.

"Oh, you can see me now, huh?" she asked.

I just nodded. This... was new, but didn't necessarily rule out me being nuts. I squinted my eyes slightly. "Okay..." I whispered. "Prove you're real. Prove I'm not crazy. Tell me something only you would know. Something I can verify."

She looked equal parts annoyed and contemplative. "Like what?"

"I don't know..." I said.

"You know I'm a Ward. You know anything about the PRT?"

"Not really."

"Well, the Director of our PRT is Piggot, fat bitch. Bleach blonde."

"I...could still be nuts and just heard about her or saw her somewhere."

"Are you kidding me Hebert? What do you want here?"

I thought for a second. "Emma. What happened. Why did she stop being my friend?"

"Seriously? Still hung up on that?"

I glared at the image of Sophia in the mirror, and watched as she rolled her eyes. "Fine."

She told me a tale of Emma and her dad being attacked by ABB thugs, Shadow Stalker saving them, Emma returning to the scene of attack and finding Sophia there.

Sophia explaining her fucked up philosophy, and Emma making the decision to cut me out of her life. As a friend, anyway.

It was stupid, but it kind of made sense. Comments that Emma had made did sound a lot like what Sophia had just spouted. I would have to check up on all of that, but for the time being, I relented that I may not be completely nuts. This may be another aspect of my power.

We remained in silence for the rest of the trip. Once I got home, I headed right to my room to turn on my computer and look up powers. I needed to see if anyone had a power like this.

Unfortunately, only two came up that came close. The Butcher, leader of a gang called The Teeth. Each time the Butcher was killed, their power, or powers now, moved to whoever killed them, along with their consciousness. So, there was a precedent for capes popping up in others heads, at least.

But the really scary one was the one who's power mine was most like. Another villain, and a really nasty one with a death toll in the hundreds.

Glaistig Uaine, the Faerie Queen. Apparently, any cape she killed, she could summon as a ghost and use them, and their powers, as she saw fit.

I swallowed at that, The two capes with powers closest to mine, and both were villains. Homicidal maniacs.

And I had already killed someone.

I put my head down and groaned.

"You figure out a way to fix me?"

I lifted my head and peaked into the mirror that I had set up on my desk. Sophia was glaring at me. I knew that she knew the answer to her question already.

I set my head back down on my desk and let out a long sigh.

"How can things get worse?"


	3. Chapter 3

I was nervous as I watched the druggie meandering around. I had been trailing him for the past few hours at Sophia's behest. And, granted, he was the best bet we had for the goal that we had in mind. He, according to Sophia, was pretty high up the totem as far as Merchants went. Something about wristbands.

And now we were pretty sure he had just led us to the current Merchants HQ.

We had made a mutual decision, Sophia and I, that I couldn't just sit around and let her power go to waste.

Well, she had made the decision. By complaining non-stop that I was wasting her powers.

She also brought up the fact that I wasn't fully exploring my powers. She had wondered if I could take in more powers. I was hesitant. I was still feeling guilty enough about what I did to Sophia. I didn't want to add to it.

She justified it by suggesting that we go after villains. And then she suggested the Merchants. People who sold drugs to children and forced people into addiction.

The lowest of the low, in my opinion. I...both of us, had seen a fair number of our classmates fall victim to the Merchants tactics. I couldn't really argue that Brockton Bay would be better off without them around.

"You gonna do this, or just stare at the building?" Sophia asked. I let out a low growl and shook my head.

"We'll go, we will, but..."

She didn't say anything, apparently content to let me struggle. "This is my first time actually planning to, you know, be a hero."

"You haven't done anything heroic yet, Hebert. Save the speeches until you actually do something."

I groaned, but pulled up the hood of my temporary costume. An extra cloak that Sophia had stashed away in a little abandoned warehouse and a cheap mask that covered everything but my eyes.

I knew that I basically looked like Shadow Stalker, and it would draw questions if anyone saw me.

All the more reason to do this sneakily. Do it well.

For once, I was glad to have Sophia around. She was offering me some pointers, at least.

I jumped and shifted into the shadow state, and was able to drift across the sky, landing safely on the roof of the building that the Merchant had led us to. There was a door, which was fortunate. Going through the walls was risky, thanks to the weakness to electricity that carried over to me when I took Sophia's power.

She had mentioned that she had been given goggles that let her see electrical wires through walls. She had also been kind enough to inform me that they were still probably locked up in the PRT base.

We'd have to make due without.

I approached the door and phased through it. The building was quiet. I had expected druggies to be louder.

"Remember what we learned when we were looking these losers up?"

I nodded. The Merchants currently had three capes. Apparently there had been more, but hardcore drug use combined with superpowers didn't lend themselves to longevity.

There was Skidmark, the leader. He was, apparently, as charming as his Cape name would lead one to believe. And if his personality didn't repulse you enough, his power could. He could lay down strips that could push people in a chosen direction.

His two lieutenants were Squealer, his girlfriend, and Mush. Squealer was a Tinker with a vehicle specialty, and Mush was able to gather trash to form an armor around himself.

Mush would be the more troublesome of the three. If my power was touch based...a Striker power, according to the ranking Sophia had gone on about, then his armor would be able to interfere. It would be able to save him.

I moved down the stairs as quietly as I could. I figured I was doing an okay job, because Sophia only mocked my effort a little bit.

When I finally reached the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in what must have been one of the most disgusting bedrooms I had ever seen. Dirty dishes and clothes were everywhere, I could see pipes and needles on the tables, and had to double check before each step to make sure I wouldn't step on one.

Then I saw some slight movement from the bed, a slight shift as whoever was sleeping on it tossed in their sleep.

And I felt the same sensation I had numerous times before. Mainly at school.

Mainly from Sophia.

I swallowed hard, then took a deep breath. I was here, I had already decided. I was going to do this.

I shifted into the shadow state and hopped to the side of the bed. I could see the figure now. A woman. She was just in her underwear, her blonde hair a mess and she still had make-up caked onto her face.

"Squealer." Sophia said.

I nodded again. One of our targets, but definitely not the one I had wanted to run into first. If I had gotten to choose, Mush was top of the list. Catching him off guard could make all the difference in this mission.

Squealer's power wouldn't help me in a fight.

"She's the only one I've ever heard of driving their getaway vehicles." Sophia said. "Could be that she's the only one who can. Tinkers and all."

I let out a low sigh. She was trying to convince me to do it. To take Squealer's power. To kill her.

And she wasn't entirely wrong, either. Without Squealer, the Merchants would have a harder time getting away. Even if they managed to escape today, they would be at a disadvantage in the long term.

And she was a member of a gang that preyed on people. Forcing them into addiction, keeping them under their thumb with the promise of more drugs and other awards.

And, all things considered, they were weak. Bottom of the totem pole. The other gangs barely acknowledged them. They were nothing. No one would miss them if they were gone. They were just animals waiting to be picked off.

I steeled myself, then reached out and placed my hand on the woman's forehead. She didn't react to my touch. I could feel my power intensify. The...thread of her power becoming more tangible.

I took one last deep breath, and pulled.

The sensation was the same as when I used my power on Sophia. Brief light headedness, and then...

Well, that was where the similarity ended. This time, I could feel ideas entering my mind. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, helicopters.

Vehicles of all kinds. I knew how they worked, how to improve them, how to build them from trash that was laying around.

I had to shake my head, to clear the distraction away.

I looked down at the now deceased body of Squealer. At least her eyes had been closed when I had taken her. I could see Sophia step in front of me, and then the ghostly image of Squealer joined her.

"The hell just happened?" Squealer asked. "Am I having a dream, or..." She looked down at her body. "Shit...did I OD?"

"Um, not quite." I mumbled.

Squealer looked like she was going to say something, but then she paused, her eyes focused behind me. "Ooh, hey baby."

I raised an eyebrow, then both of my eyes widened. For her to call someone baby, it would have to be...

"The fuck is going on here? Who are you, little bitch?"

I turned quickly and looked at Skidmark. I was thankful for the mask, that he couldn't see my look of shock and fear. He was less fortunate. I could see the confusion on his face.

"Shadow Stalker? Aren't you supposed to be six feet under? They have some zombie making mother fucker in the pig pen now?"

I shook my head. Didn't want to speak, didn't want to give away anything to this man. I decided to try and end this quickly, and took a step forward...

Only to find myself flying back into the wall.

I had been so distracted that I hadn't noticed him using his power. And now I was sprawled on the floor in the corner of the room, with Skidmark approaching his now dead girlfriend.

Who I had been standing over.

"Shit..." I mumbled.

"You mother fucker..." he said. Any confusion that had been present in his voice was gone. Replaced by anger and sadness. Apparently this situation was able to sober him up.

I watched as he reached into his pants and produced a gun. A pistol of some sort. "I'll kill you, you little ass licking bitch!"

By the time he was turning to aim at me, I was already shifting into the shadow state. Even after being caught, I had an advantage. I had been expecting a fight. They hadn't been. Three bullets passed through me as I reoriented myself, which was no easy feat in my gaseous form. Another two passed through me as I managed to actually move forward. I finally shifted back when I heard a clicking that I knew from TV meant he was out of ammo. Sophia confirmed that thought as well.

Another use of his power sent me into the wall again, but I was more prepared this time. I still hit it hard, but this time I pushed off it and shifted states at the same time, using the momentum to carry me forward. I passed through Skidmark, which was an unsettling feeling, and ended up behind him, in a spot where he hadn't laid his power.

I returned to normal and reached out, grabbing his arm.

He pulled me, and he was far stronger than me, physically.

It didn't matter, though. Once I touched him, it was over.

We both collapsed to the ground, but I was the only one to get up. I released his arm and took a moment to catch my breath. I took a quick glance at the floor, and saw that his power remained. I wondered how long it would take to fade. I felt his power adding to my collection, and suddenly knew that it would last a few hours. It would be useful. Very useful.

"You fucker! The hell did you do to me, shit breather? Put me back in my body now or I swear I'll fucking kill you."

I shook my head and snarled, trying to tune him out. I had a feeling I was going to regret taking him. I exited the room and stepped into the hallway, and was about to ask Sophia if she could interact with Skidmark's spirit when I saw another man entering the hallway from a flight of stairs a few feet to my right. The man had incredibly thin hair, overly large eyes, skinny limbs and a fat stomach.

He also had the same feel to him that all Parahumans did to me.

"Mush..." I said. Despite myself, despite what I had just done and what I planned to do, I grinned. Something about an imminent fight was just...clicking with me.

The man looked at me, clearly surprised, then looked around. Some of the garbage on the floor began moving, gravitating toward him.

I bent down and applied Skidmark's power, allowing it to flow over the spot on the floor that I was standing on. As soon as I felt it start to move me, I shifted to the shadow state and soared at Mush. There wasn't much he could do as I fired myself at him like a cannonball of mist.

I let Sophia's power drop midway through the air, using what I knew of her power. The man had tried to back away, but only succeeded in backing into the door frame. I collided with him, crashing straight into his stomach. My hands felt his flesh, and for the third time that night, I claimed a power and a soul.

This time was different, though. I felt my connection to Sophia weaken. Almost as though she were pushed slightly away. Still there, but...inactive. I tried using her power, but found that I couldn't. The other three powers I claimed were all there, all at my disposal.

I focused a bit, and reached for Sophia's power specifically. As I pulled it, it almost felt as though I was moving it toward a slot that was filled by one of the others. I moved it to Skidmark's, and was relieved to find his shouting replaced by Sophia's.

At least I had grown used to hers.

I stood up, and winced in pain.

"I guess shooting myself at people is a bad idea." I said.

"Really? You think so?" Sophia asked.

"Hey, I couldn't let him use his power." I said, looking down at Mush's body. "It would have been too tough to work around."

"Whatever."

I rolled my eyes, and started walking back to the bedroom. We would leave the same way we entered.

"Though, I gotta give you props, I guess. You took all three of them down. Even if they were high as shit when you did."

I shrugged. "Don't really feel good about it. It's still killing."

"Survival of the fittest, Hebert." Sophia said. "And we just found out a lot more about your power, right? Three at a time, but you can hold more than that."

"True. It's good to know." I said, smiling. It felt good to prove myself. To show that I was worth something.

"And, there powers aren't the worst. They were being wasted on these losers. We just gotta think up some interesting uses. That cannonball move of yours was dumb, but it worked. It's all about...what's that word? When things work well together?"

"Synergy?"

"Right, synergy. You gotta figure out how to synergize these powers."

I opened my mouth to respond, to correct her use of the word, but stopped to think about it. Using her power in tandem with Skidmark's had been quick thinking. And it had felt so...natural. So right to combine them. As I exited the building, I looked up at the sky.

"Maybe you're onto something there..."


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4:

"3 days..." Sophia complained.

"I'm not trying to draw too much attention to myself."

"You don't have to go on a killing spree, Hebert, but not even a patrol? Come on!"

I rolled my eyes. "Lay off, Sophia."

"No. Bad enough I'm stuck to you and can't do anything any more, but now I can't even get the rush of things by tagging along? You gave me a taste and then just go back to being lame?"

"Sophia, shut up!" I said, maybe a bit louder than I should have. I lifted my head and looked around. Fortunately, no one was around. "I'm just laying low. You saw what PHO was saying..."

"Well, no shit the Protectorate Eggheads figured out a Parahuman took down the Merchants. A braindead kindergartner could have put that together."

"Well, considering that most of my arsenal comes from those three recently deceased Capes, I'm not in a hurry to show off right now."

"Yeah, have we thanked you for this situation recently, little bitch?" Squealer asked, eliciting another groan from me. She had quickly become another critic of...just about everything I did.

"Can't you at least call me Taylor?"

We aren't friends!" Squealer replied, venom in her voice. "You off us, steal our powers and us, and you won't even let me see Skiddy."

"That's because he's awful. Honestly, some of the things he says..."

"I've heard worse." Sophia chimed in.

"You should be doing anything we ask you to make up for this shitty situation we're in." Squealer continued.

At least Mush was quiet most of the time.

"Listen, I know it's awful, but..."

"Taylor?"

I gasped and dropped the wrench that I was holding. Fortunately, it bounced off of the edge of the truck and onto the driveway. It would have been a real pain to dig it out if it had fallen into the engine and gotten stuck.

"Yes, dad?"

"What are you doing to my truck?"

I bit my lip as I tried to think. I had been hoping he would stay asleep a bit longer. It was a Sunday, after all. I had figured I had another hour or two to put Squealer's power to work.

I had been wrong.

"Um, I've been reading up about basic car maintenance at school. Heard a rattling when we were driving around the other day, and figured I would take a look." Not complete lies. There had been a rattling. I had fixed it about an hour and a half ago. Then I modified it a bit, allowing it to maintain clean oil longer, increase fuel efficiency, improve the heating system.

Squealer said I was wasting her power by not turning it into a monster truck.

"And were you talking to someone?"

Shit I thought. I knew it was a risk talking to my...well, my victims was the best way to put it. I had been hoping he hadn't heard me.  
"Just...talking myself through the work. Trying to remember what I read."

"I don't know if just poking around inside my truck is the best way to try these things." dad said.

Squealer and I each scoffed. No mechanic could compare to her power, and we each knew it. I had to bite down a scathing remark.

"It's just basic stuff, dad. I barely touched it, really." I said. Luckily, he had caught me between execution of ideas. "I was just wrapping up. It should be good to go."

He looked skeptical. I couldn't really blame him. I had never shown an interest in cars in my life. I forced a smile, closed the hood, then dashed to the driver's side door. I had grabbed his keys earlier to gain access. I put them in the ignition, noting that a remote start would be simple to install and incredibly convenient, and then started it up.

To my, and surprisingly Squealer's, satisfaction it started instantly and purred like a kitten. It probably ran better than when it was new.

Scratch that, it definitely did.

Dad looked surprised. "Well, it does sound good." he said.

"Like I said, simple."

"Is this your future? Helping your daddy fix his junky truck?" Sophia asked. I had to work to keep the scowl off my face.

"Thanks for this, Taylor." dad said. "I appreciate it. I didn't know you had this in you."

"What can I say? It's a recent development."

"Well, what do you say I go get cleaned up, then we can test your work out for real. Head downtown? Maybe grab some lunch?"

"Sounds great." I replied, my eyes drifting to Sophia. "Oh, and dad? I was wondering if it would be alright if I went out for a bit tonight."

"Oh? What for?"

"A friend from school wanted me to do something with her." I said. I could see the smile begin to spread across Sophia's face. "I'd be out kinda late, but I could get a ride back."

"It's a school night..."

"I know, but I'd really like to go."

My father seemed conflicted, but finally relented. "Alright. As long as you can get a ride home. And if you need one, you can call me."

"It's all set, dad. I'll be able to get home just fine."

"Okay, sure." he said. "Now clean these tools up and get ready to go."

-

"This might not have been the best night to go out..." I said. Looking in the distance, I could see the flames spreading, the smoke rising.

And as I approached, against my better judgement, I could hear the roars coming from the one who caused the scene, as well as the sounds of the Protectorate and PRT Capes who were trying to put him down.

Lung was a known evil in Brockton Bay. An incredibly strong power, and often considered too much trouble to deal with.

And he had decided to set fire to some old warehouse before facing off with some of the local heroes.

I knew I couldn't fight Lung. I could probably kill him, sure, if I got the element of surprise. But that was a pretty risky maybe. I wasn't sure if his scales would stop my power from working. So far, I had needed skin on skin contact. If I found out he was protected, well...

That would be a bad time for me.

So why, one may ask, was I rushing toward the scene of his latest project? Well, there needed to be a reason for him burning down a warehouse. And if there was someone innocent who could be saved, well...

Maybe that would make up for some of the things I had done in my short career as a Cape.

As I approached the warehouse, the smoke was stifling. Even in the Shadow state. I was counting my blessings that the Protectorate were occupied with Lung, leaving only firefighters and police here to deal with the flames. And it seemed that they were operating under the assumption that the building was empty.

I shook my head. No way to be sure. Sophia and, surprisingly, Mush agreed. Lung didn't go for property damage.

When we arrived, the flames had stopped spreading, but the building was still burning and the smoke was still plentiful. Enough that we were unseen from our rooftop perch.

I dropped to the alley between the two buildings and approached the inferno. The flames were toward the front, where the firefighters were, but had spread to the roof as well. From what I could tell, the inside wasn't too bad, yet.

I held my breath, shifted, and plunged through the nearest window.

The smoke was irritating, even in my altered state. When I turned back, I was instantly thankful for the goggles that I had purchased to go under my mask. They had initially been to further disguise my eyes. Now? Now they were actually serving a purpose.

I glanced around, and didn't see much. The warehouse was mostly empty. A few old machines here and there, a few old tables.

And then I saw them. In the center of the room. 4 figures. They all had pools of blood around them, and two looked pretty badly burned.

As I approached, I could barely make out a few larger figures inside the flames. They had been the targets of the initial fiery assault. The two burnt people were the two closest to the masses of flesh.

As I continued walking, I could feel my power flare up. Two of the bodies had the sensation that all Capes did.

"A cape fight, huh?" I mumbled. I wondered for a moment who they were, what the fight was about.

Then I felt the sensation weaken. In both of the bodies. I looked and saw the ever expanding pool of blood around each of them. The flames had claimed their friends, but the wounds were going to get them.

I stopped directly over them, then knelt down and touched them. I closed my eyes as soon as I made contact. Seeing people like this, and two corpses mere feet away was...awful. It was somehow different from when I used my power. When I did, they just looked asleep. These people? They were mutilated.

"I'm sorry..." I said. "Maybe if I had been here, I could have done something. Maybe...maybe I could have saved your friends. But I can still save you two. Kind of."

I decided to stop explaining when I felt their pull weaken again. I reached out with my power and pulled. I decided, as their powers became mine, to push Squealer and Mush back. Sophia's power was too useful for moving to sacrifice in the face of an inferno.

I felt the powers take hold, and then...

Then I started putting things together. My eyes darted to the heaps of flesh in the flames. Not human, not by a long shot. The shape, the general outline, was canine. I glanced to the two who had been dead when I arrived. If they were all capes, and there were dogs here, then one of them must have been Hellhound, though I also discerned that she preferred Bitch. The other, the smaller of the two was Regent. They were each members of a small time gang that was new to the city. The Undersiders. Then that must mean...

"Woah, you actually did it, huh?" a girl's voice asked. "Wasn't really sure when you started getting all sappy there."

I looked toward my two newest ghosts and nodded. "Tattletale and Grue." I said.

"Yeah, that's right." Tattletale said. "This really sucks."

I just nodded. "Lung...he had it out for you? Because...you did something. Acted against him." I saw Tattletale shift slightly, and then it came to me. "You robbed him...robbed his casino? Are you crazy?"

"Well, actually, we're dead." Tattletale said. I could see the shoulders of Grue, the other new addition to my team/powerset slump slightly.

I looked at their bodies, and breathed a sigh of relief. I began to speak at the same time as Tattletale.

"Nothing could have been done." we both said. I looked at her, and noticed a smirk had adorned her face.

"Oni Lee got us." Grue said, speaking for the first time. "Slit our throats while Lung assaulted the front of the building."

"You tried to have Bitch's dogs fight Lung off so you could try to escape, but he toasted them, and the building, and Lee snuck in and cut you."

"Right." Tattletale said. "We were gonna be gone in about 30 seconds, I'd say."

I nodded. I figured that too.

"And now you're using my power to reach the same conclusions that I'm reaching."

I nodded.

"Well, if you two can stop shooting the shit for a minute, maybe we should get out of this burning building?" Sophia asked.

"Right." I said. "Then we can plan."

"Plan?" Sophia asked. I looked to her, and noticed her glancing at Grue with a hint of hatred. Tattletale's power helped to inform me that there was an old rivalry there.

"Plan for what?" Grue asked, seeming not to notice the look.

"Well you..." I said, pointing to Tattletale. "Want revenge. Not just on Lung, but on someone else. Another villain. A boss? Yeah, that's it."

"Ooh, that is kind of annoying to be on this side of." Tattletale said, though she was still grinning.

I then turned to Grue and pointed to him. "And you, even in death, are worried about someone. A family member? A...a sister, that's it."

His body language practically screamed that he was surprised, but I just grinned behind my mask. I assumed it didn't look too different from Tattletales. I shifted into my Shadow state and left the building, already coming up with some ideas.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5:

"So, you feeling better, Taylor?"

I groaned at Tattletale's voice. Apparently, I had overused her power after getting it last night and had given myself what she affectionately called a 'Thinker Headache'. It was more like the worst migraine I could ever imagine. And, unfortunately, dismissing her hadn't gotten rid of the pain.

So, I had the day off of school to recover.

"You get used to it." she said. "I wrecked myself the first few weeks I had my power, but your mind will adapt to it eventually."

"Great..." I mumbled. In all honestly, it had gotten better fairly quickly. I wondered if it was an aspect of my power. A degree of separation that helped me recover more quickly?

Tattletale's power was fairly certain that was the case. And using it again caused another flash of pain.

"So, should we start planning for how to move forward with? We've got a lot to do." Tattletale said.

"Maybe we should give her a chance to rest up. No point in planning anything if she's laid out all the time." Grue said.

I smiled at his words. He had barely spoken since I picked him and Tattletale up. Her power told me that he responded to stress by shutting down emotionally, falling back on baser instincts.

The fact that he was talking was a good sign. I liked being surrounded by people my own age more than the older, and far more sketchy, Merchants.

"No, no, I think I'll be okay. So long as I don't need to do too much talking." I said. I was still laying down, still keeping my eyes closed, but we could do this.

"Cool, so, first things first. I was hoping you could send little miss psycho away for a bit." Tattletale said, pointing to Sophia.

"What? Why the fuck?" Sophia asked. I had to admit, I was a bit confused too. Especially since I was focusing on Tattletale's power not activating.

"Just, bear with me. It'll just be for a few minutes. Testing a hunch."

I didn't really have it in me to look further into it, so I just decided to go with it. "See you in a bit, Sophia." I said, casting her away and bringing Mush out.

"Thank you." Tattletale said. There was a few moments of silence, which caused me to open my eyes. When I did, I saw Tattletale staring at me. I didn't need to use her power to figure out she was studying me.

"What?"

"I thought so. You're a little different."

"What do you mean?"

"A little more...subdued. Less on edge." Tattletale said. "I think..."

"You think you guys are affecting me. Messing with my head." I said. Her power filling in the gaps against my will.

"I kind of figured. You seemed a little more decisive once you took Grue and me on and ditched the druggies. You notice anything strange about yourself lately?"

I thought about it. After I had taken Sophia, I had felt a bit more...driven. I had more of a need to prove myself. I had fallen into Sophia's training regiment against my better judgement, had bent to her will when it came to going , even when I was dealing with the Merchants, I had fallen into fighting and claiming them with ease. I had seen them as less than myself, prey, and had justified my actions that way.

"Whatever connects you to our powers, it also connects you to us on a deeper level. We kind of...leak in. It probably gets worse the longer you stick with one power."

I nodded. I had come to that same conclusion, even though it was causing me pain to do so. I had been connected to Sophia for weeks before going after the Merchants. If it was a time based thing, then that would explain why she had been able to influence me.

"Shit..." I said, closing my eyes again.

"Hey, now that you know, you can work around it." Grue said. "Just cycle out the more unsavory Capes you have."

I nodded. "Seems like a necessity."

"Speaking of, that brings me to my next point. Which I still don't want the nut job hearing, since she's so into the brutality thing."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Our boss...well, former boss I guess, is no easy target. His power lets him decide outcomes. You'll need to be able to come at him from an angle that he can't predict if you want to beat him."

"And do I want to beat him?"

"He's a villain, and he has some pretty grand plans. I'm not sure exactly what they are, but they won't be good. And if you're trying to do the hero thing."

"Alright, alright. I get you. What's the point?"

"You'll need to stock up on powers. Become an unpredictable force. Which, honestly, I would recommend even if you weren't going to go after our boss."

"Why is that?" I asked. I already knew some of what she was about to say, but...

"Well, there's no ignoring this. You've killed people. That's not gonna reflect well on you no matter which way you slice it. It's unlikely the Protectorate will ever be willing to play ball with you."

I nodded slowly. I had more or less assumed that from the get go. My first action as a Cape had been killing a Ward. Even if it was an accident, I figured that would blow any chance of a partnership with them.

"Sure, you could try to join New Wave, but then you'd need to forego a secret identity. And once people know what you can do, how you work...you'll want a secret identity. And that's even assuming that they would accept you onto the team despite what you need to do to power up."

"So I can't side with the heroes. I knew that already." I said.

"Well, just let me explain and we can get through this faster. If the heroes find out about you and what you can do, they'll try to have you shipped off to the Birdcage. Even if you're willing to play ball with them, they'll do it because you remind them of a certain psycho who thinks she's a faerie."

"If any villains find out about you? They'll either try to control you or kill you. Probably kill, ultimately, since all you need to do is touch them to kill them. Now, all of that adds up to you basically going it alone except for us. And we can't really back you up. Not in a physical sense. You're only real choice, if you want to make it in the long run, is to make yourself so versatile that no one can really pin you down."

"And that ties into me helping you?"

"Kind of. What I want will work out for both of us. Now, my plan is twofold. First, revenge on Lung. Second, revenge on my former boss. Take down Lung, get his power? You'll be that much stronger for taking down our boss. Even he doesn't want to mess with Lung."

"I don't blame him. Lung is scary. I'm not even sure I want to go after him."

"And I don't want you to. Not yet. We need to bulk you up, more or less. And I have an idea for who we can go after to give you a boost that should help you hold your own. Against Lung, and in the long run."

I sighed. "More killing?"

"It sucks, I know, but you're already in it, you know. Stopping would be condemning yourself to a lifetime imprisonment or death."

I nodded. "I...I know, but..."

"But, you're trying to be a hero. Which is why my list is villains. All people who more or less deserve what's coming to them. People that the PRT and Protectorate aren't too likely to look into too deeply. And, I think that my first few targets will get us on the right path to helping you solve Grue's problem, too."

I looked toward Grue, then back to Tattletale. "I think I know what you're gonna suggest."

She didn't answer with words. Only a smirk.

"So...the Empire, huh?"


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6:

It amazed me how the mundane things in my life became even more mundane after becoming a Cape. I had always liked school, more or less. Learning just resonated with me.

That just made my torment at Emma and her friends' hands even worse. They had turned a place that I enjoyed into something awful. I had gone from enjoying school to detesting it.

But now, knowing the excitement of Cape life? How could school even compare? Add to that Tattletale's power which fed me all of the information I would be learning anyway, and...yeah. School was definitely no fun at the moment.

And neither was listening to Tattletale prattle on while I tried to pretend I was paying attention.

"Well? Are you gonna answer me, Taylor?" she asked, smirking at me.

I glanced at her and let out a low groan. She knew full well that I couldn't respond. Not without raising a lot of questions. She let out a little laugh and then rolled her eyes.

"Write it in the margin. I want my info."

I clenched my jaw and scribbled my response. Repeat your question?

Tattletale sighed. "How long has the bullying been going on, exactly?"

I let out a breath as I wrote another reply. About a year and a half. Why?

"Just curious. Want to know more about the person I'm gonna be working with for the rest of her life. Why not do something about it?"

I could feel myself tense, and Tattletale gasped. "Ahh, you did. By accident, huh?" She paused and stared at me before grinning again. "Psycho was one of your tormentors, huh?"

I mentally thanked whatever force had compelled me to keep Mush out today. Usually I let Sophia hang around while I was at school. Maybe I was subconsciously trying to give her a bit of what I had stolen back?

It didn't really matter. Having her and Tattletale active at the same time was a headache. Tattletale and Grue got along with each other fine, since they had been teammates. And Mush was pretty quiet regardless of who was around.

Sophia, Squealer, and Skidmark were the troublemakers, generally. Sophia when she didn't get her way, and the other two...well, always.

"What about the others, though? Why not put them in their place?"

Not worth the trouble. Would draw too much attention.

"Not if you're careful. You shouldn't have to deal with their shit. I mean, even what I've just figured out is awful, and..."

Enough. Don't want to talk about this.

"Fine, fine. You're the boss, I guess." Tattletale said.

It had been like this all morning. Her drilling me with questions, usually when I was unable to answer. She seemed to enjoy playing games like that, on some level.

The bell rang and I slammed my notebook closed. It was finally lunch time, which meant that I could sneak to the library and do some more research. I gathered the rest of my things and hurried out of the room. I barely made it 10 feet down the hall when I heard the last voice I wanted to hear.

"Taylor, you're back."

I sighed and slowed down. There was no point in running. It would just give her incentive to follow me. "Emma, yeah. I am."

"Decided you skipped enough school, huh? I mean, you're not the smartest person around. You need all the education you can get."

It was a line she had used a thousand times before. She attacked my intelligence fairly regularly. It was idiotic, really. I had always been the better of the two of us when it came to school. She knew it as well as I did. That was one of the reasons that I never usually let those comments get to me.

Today, though? For some reason today it was really grating on me.

I wanted to be the bigger person, to just walk away, but for some reason I just couldn't. I felt the need to...posture. To prove myself to be her equal. To be her better. I knew I couldn't just walk away. Anyone else who was around would see me as weak, and I couldn't have that.

And...no one called me stupid.

I let a small grin creep to my face. "I may have been sick, but I wasn't slacking, Ems. Some of us know how to get online and email our teachers for our assignments."

Emma's face twisted. Most people would barely have noticed. Luckily, I wasn't most people. I saw anger, confusion, and...a twinge of happiness and relief.

I thought back to what Sophia told me after I took her. Her fucked up world view. Tattletale's power filled in some gaps for me.

"You can't talk to her like that, Hebert." I glanced to Emma's left, saw Madison glaring at me.

"Oh, Madison. I didn't see you there." I said. "Why don't you head off to lunch? The adults are talking."

Madison looked taken aback for a moment, then began launching into some petty verbal assault. She focused on the same things Emma had been. Me missing school, being stupid, the usual.

And the whole time, I was gathering info. The small part of me that wanted to hold back disappeared as Madison continued prattling on.

"You know, Madison." I said, raising my voice to cover hers. "I would think you of all people would understand someone needing to take some time off of school. I mean, you missed about a week and a half last month. No one attacked you like this when you came back."

I could see her pale, and my grin grew a bit wider. "I wonder, what were you sick with. Hmmm."

"What are you doing?" Madison asked as I slowly approached her. "You don't know anything, Hebert."

"Oh, I think you'd be surprised what I know. I'm pretty quiet, so people tend to overlook me sometimes. And, thanks to you and your little group of terrors, I spend a fair bit of time in the offices and at the nurse. So sometimes I overhear things. Like, a student who needs some...mental health days."

At this point, Madison's eyes were wider than I had ever seen them. I finally stepped right up to her, and leaned close to whisper in her ear.

"So...have you decided who you'll go with? I mean, you're mom is staying here where all of your friends are, but your dad lets you get away with so much more than she ever would... Aren't divorces just the worst?"

I could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and her lip start to quiver. It was almost enough to make me feel bad. I probably would have if her, Emma, and Sophia hadn't used my mom's death against me multiple times.

Madison looked to Emma for a moment before taking off down the hall. I turned my attention to my former best friend, who looked shocked.

"What...did you say to her?"

"Don't worry about it." I replied, crossing my arms. "Now, I would love to chat some more, but I have some plans for my lunch, so..."

"What? No, you don't just get to do something to Madison and walk away..."

"Really? You guys have been doing stuff like that to me since we started high school. Seems like something I'm able to do. I also find it hilarious that you're so staunch in your defense of Madison, considering the way you've treated friends in the past."

Emma opened her mouth, but I continued on. "How long, Emma? How long until Madison proves herself too pathetic and weak to be seen with you and you cast her aside?"

To my surprise, Emma actually recoiled. It was almost like she had been struck.

"But...you're pretty and popular. You'll always have plenty of people who want to be your friend, right? Maybe you'll burn through everyone here. They'll realize how shallow and small you really are. You'll either toss them aside or they'll toss you aside. But they'll be more people. Maybe you can fall in with some of the gangs."

"Maybe the Empire will accept you. Of course, if they ever find out you were friends with Sophia, they'll turn on you. The Merchants are basically gone, and you don't strike me as the type to hang out with druggies."

At this point, I was circling Emma. I felt like a shark who had found her prey. "That really only leaves one option, huh? The ABB. Now, they normally only accept Asian people, right? But...I don't know. Something tells me you'd be able to get their attention."

Emma was now wearing an expression incredibly close to the one that Madison had when she ran off, though I could tell that there was more to it. I knew before I even started speaking that I was picking on a very old, very deep insecurity. A trauma that had never been dealt with.

I couldn't really bring myself to care. Now that I had started, the floodgates were open. A year and a half of abuse had led to this. That being said, I did have some things to do, so I decided to end this.

"You know, it's no secret that there are more than a few ABB members here at Winslow. I'm sure if you asked, they could introduce you around the gang. I'd love to help you do that, but I am busy, so I'll see you later."

Emma had gone completely stiff, the look in her eyes was a mixture of terror and shock.

I shook my head and started walking down the hall again.

"How did that feel?" Tattletale asked.

I looked around. Most of the other students had headed off to eat there lunch, so I figured I was safe to talk. "It...felt pretty good. I just...I couldn't take her shit today. When she started calling me stupid, I just..."

"Yeah, that might be my fault." Tattletale said. "I have a bit of a complex about people insinuating I'm stupid. It must be bleeding in because of how long you've had me active."

"There are worse things. Now that you mention it, though, I was also having a tough time thinking about backing down and seeming weak. Was that you, Grue?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't say I can't back down. I just..."

"It was him. He's all about reputation and seeming strong."

I nodded, and we stopped talking until I reached the library. I walked to the back and found an unoccupied computer. I sat down, logged in, and went to PHO. I also plugged in my flash drive.

"So, you called that number I gave you, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that guy...the Number Man. He transferred all the funds to an account for me."

"Nice. You've got the funds of four supervillains at your disposal. You're not set for life or anything, but you should be good for a while. And we should be able to use it to get you an actual costume."

"That can wait." I said. "We should focus on our mission for now."

"Right, sure. But after that you need a better costume than an old cloak and a mask. Now, you know our targets, right?"

I nodded. "Alabaster and Victor."

"Small timers in the grand scheme of the Empire's operations." Grue said.

"Alabaster has a strange form of regeneration. He get's refreshed to good as new every few seconds. Victor is a skill thief. If he finds someone who's an expert at something, he can become an expert at it. He's stolen plenty of useful abilities."

"Having their powers at your disposal would be incredibly useful. Alabaster's power would give longevity, and Victor would let you bolster yourself regardless of what powers you're using."

I nodded, and opened up the files that I had recovered the night before. I had managed to worm my way into some private messages. We had gained some insight into an operation that the Empire was pulling that night.

"The main issue is that Victor usually has another cape, Othala, with him. You may have to take her down too, to get to him."

"She's a trump, able to give other people powers." Grue added. "If she is there, she should be removed from the equation first."

"But...other than them, we should be good. This job is low profile. None of the heavy hitters should be coming out." I said.

"That's the hope." Grue said.

"It's a simple pick up for them, according to the messages." I said. I didn't dare look into the three while I was here. It would be too easy for someone to find that. And with the PRT employing Thinkers to look into things like that...

"What could go wrong?"


	7. Chapter 7

Interlude - The broken:

Nothing makes sense any more.

Emma was walking home in a daze.

It had started with Sophia's death. It had been so out of the blue, and wasn't at all what could have been expected. She didn't fall to a villain, or a mistake in the field. At least, that was the official word from the police, the school...the PRT.

An undiagnosed heart condition. Never caught, despite all of her examinations, despite her being on the track team. Despite her being a hero.

Bull shit.

Something had gotten her. Someone had gotten her.

She had been a fighter. A predator. To even consider that Sophia had fallen to a condition like that? It was laughable.

And the worst part was, beyond the first week, no one had spoken of it, really. Not the teachers, or the other students. Even all of their friends had stopped bringing her up.

Even Emma was guilty. She had justified it to herself. She was a survivor. She couldn't just sit back and mourn. She needed to be tough.

She needed to be strong...

So, she fell back into her old habits. She had hung out with the others, had taken modeling jobs, had tried to move on with her life.

She had fallen back on everything. Even targeting Taylor.

It had been a reassurance, at first. Like a security blanket, of sorts. But her words had begun to have less impact.

And then today, she had...she had fought back. Sent Madison away, crying. And the things she had said...

Could she know?

There was no way. It didn't make sense. How could she?

Who could have told her?

Why was she suddenly developing a backbone now? After all of this time? After almost two years of her trying to prove that Taylor was a fighter to Sophia...

Could that be it?

Had it been Sophia? Had her presence alone been enough to temper any sort of fight in Taylor?

It made sense, in a way. Sophia had been a cape. A natural progression of humanity. Something that normal people could never hope to match.

Had Taylor, somehow, been able to pick up on that? Had she known that, if it had come to a physical altercation, that she could never have beaten Sophia?

It was the same feeling that Emma herself had lived with the entire time she had known Sophia. She had seen the end result of Shadow Stalker's outings. Had known what she was capable of.

It had always scared her.

A bit.

Emma was a survivor, after all.

But, it made sense. If even Emma was slightly afraid of Sophia, then it would only make sense that even Taylor had been able to pick up on it.

And if that was the reason that she had been such a pushover...

...

It didn't matter. Not any more. Taylor had a year and a half of being an outcast, a social pariah. There...wasn't really any way to undo that.

But she also couldn't just let Taylor get away with attacking her like she had. It would ruin her. Threaten to take away one of her last vestiges of normalcy.

But something is different. Taylor's not worried about us. Not scared of us. Without Sophia...

Without a Cape...

A light dawned on Emma as the idea clicked into place. People weren't born with powers, they gained them. Sophia had made a few references to Trigger Events. There must be a way...

Emma's determination pushed her to move with more purpose. She rushed home, and once she arrived, hid away in her room. She went to every website on Parahumans. She brought up college papers, government studies.

She even registered on PHO and began asking questions on there.

She would discover how to get powers.

She would restore balance to her life.

One way or another.


	8. Chapter 8

The Reaping - Part 7

I was nervous. Far more nervous than I had been when going after the Merchants. Despite the significant increase to the number of powers that I had.

I had been told for over a week how pathetic the Merchants were. How they only held onto territory that nobody else saw worthy of being fought over. They had been bottom of the barrel. Just barely more trouble than they had been worth.

Prey. Sophia's words, not mine. But when I had all of that information fed to me for all that time, it had been hard not to let a little confidence shine through.

Now, though? None of my ghosts were going to tell me that any of the people were anything less than what they were. Real Capes. Dangerous people.

Murderers.

Not that I doubted that the Merchants had killed, but...

This was different.

Empire 88 was...was real, to me. Everyone in Brockton Bay knew of the Merchants, but people all over the country knew of Empire 88.

And the things they had done...well, I didn't need Tattletale's power to tell me how bad they were.

And I was about to enter a proverbial hornets nest.

Without any real offensive powers.

Sure, I could use Mush to assemble some armor, could use Skidmark to push people around, but...

I really needed some way to actually fight. Which was the point of this excursion, of course. We were hoping Victor would be able to help me gain ways to defend myself. Make me something of a threat.

Like I needed the help with that.

And that was how I ended up perched in the rafters of this warehouse. Some hacking with Tattletale's power had led us here. A mission with my two targets. Othala was to be on the scene as well, but that wasn't unusual for a mission involving Victor.

3 Capes. 2 of whom I wanted to harvest. I had been watching them for about half an hour. Had been there for twice as long. Shadow Stalker's power had gotten me in unseen. Tattletale's power was informing me that they were settling in for a long night. Apparently they needed to watch over their shipment, and couldn't move it. I was willing to accept it. Criminals could act however they wanted.

Victor was standing vigilant while Othala and Alabaster talked. I couldn't make out what they were saying, not fully. Tattletale's power filled in the rest. Apparently they were discussing plans for some sort of gathering.

I still wasn't sure if it was social or Cape related. Maybe it was both.

A shame that the two men in the room wouldn't be making it, one way or another.

I continued watching for another twenty minutes before I saw my chance. Othala moving around more to stretch her legs. She passed by Victor, touching his arm softly as she did. No surprise there, Tattletale's power had already informed me that they were an item. She began to take a lap around the warehouse. For most people, it would be incredibly difficult to decide when to strike. As it was, though...Tattletale and I could each see it perfectly.

"Now..." we each said in unison. Well, I thought it, she said it.

I activated the shadow state and dropped down behind Othala. No cameras were active, and we were out of sight of her two allies.

I activated Grue's power, shrouding the two of us in his darkness. I knew how it would spread, where it would stop. This wouldn't lead to us being discovered. Not until it was too late.

I could see her react, start to try and leave. I couldn't use the shadow state now, it didn't react well with Grue's power. Luckily, though, I had been working out. A more normal workout, recently. Unlike the suicidal one that Sophia had set me on. I was able to catch up to the woman easily. Especially since she bumped right into a large crate.

I pulled the dart from my pocket. Shadow Stalker had hated being relegated to using these. Had felt they neutered her. It was probably because they were her primary weapon. I was far deadlier with my hands than she had been even with her lethal bolts. At least to Parahumans. But right now, I needed the sedative.

I didn't want to kill Othala. She would be too big of a missing piece. Too useful against Endbringers and other large threats to think of taking her for myself. And, I couldn't use her powers on myself if I took her anyway.

I stuck her with the dart and injected the contents. Enough to put her down for a few hours. Enough to let me finish this and get home.

I turned slightly, looking toward where Victor and Alabaster were. I knew what I needed to do. We had run over the plan so many times.

I began circling the warehouse, tracing the path Othala had begun. Only one way in and out of the warehouse was currently open, and my targets were nowhere near it. They had moved their precious cargo further in, just in case of attack.

That would be their undoing.

Once I had myself between the door and them, I began spreading Grue's darkness. It would limit my mobility somewhat, not being able to use Sophia's power, but having sight when your opponents don't was far more valuable.

By the time they noticed the darkness, it was too late. I let Grue's power burst out of me, as though it had been waiting patiently to be unleashed. Victor was the first to react, backing away and taking a defensive stance. As I figured he would. He wasn't my first target, anyway.

Alabaster seemed more unsure. He wasn't as combat tested as Victor. I could tell. He hadn't really needed to be. A constant "refreshing" effect kept him nearly impervious to injury. He could brute force his way through most fights.

But not this one. He was backing into a crate, or so he thought. I placed myself between him and his goal, and reached out. He backed right into me, my hand grasping the back of his neck. I felt the sensation of my power working, and then he went limp.

I cast Sophia's power aside, taking on my newest prize. I could feel it washing over me. As I turned my attention to Victor, I could feel the wave of energy coursing through me, trying to restore me to a previous state.

I also noticed that Victor had drawn a gun. He was firing wildly. A sound that only I could hear in the darkness. I approached him, not bothering to act stealthy, only trying to avoid the shots.

He his a box to my left with one bullet, causing it to splinter. Some of the shards hit me, but the pain lasted only a second before Alabaster's power restored me. More shots rang out, and just as I was about to reach him, he managed to score a shot on my arm.

The pain was worse than anything I had ever felt. It had trumped all of Sophia's abuse, all of the pranks, even the locker. It brought me to tears instantly.

And then, like the splinters, it was gone. I pushed myself back up, having apparently fallen to my knees from the pain. I reached out and grabbed Victor's gun hand. I could feel him tense slightly, trying to pull the trigger. He was gone before he could. Another tally for my body count.

But...perhaps a more deserving one. Two more deserving ones. Murderers. People who targeted others based on their skin color or race.

I allowed the darkness to fade. Alabaster was screaming at me, while Grue and Tattletale congratulated me. I was barely able to take it in. The rush of getting these powers...it was dangerous. I could see myself falling into a trap, losing the part of me that's hesitant to just claim people.

I was still catching my breath, just thinking of leaving, when my world exploded into pain. It felt like I was being ripped apart. Even past Alabaster's, refreshes, the pain continued. I recovered seven or eight times before it stopped. I stumbled away from the source, turning to look at it after my latest refresh.

Staring me down was the form of a giant, metallic wolf. Blades protruded from all over it. I could just about cry when I saw him.

Tattletale and I spoke at the same time. "You're not supposed to be here..."

"Neither are you." His voice was distorted by the sounds of metal grating against metal and chainsaws whirring.

"Well, guess I'll leave then..." I said, stepping back away from the monster. He actually growled at me and lunged forward. A quick swapping of Grue for Shadow Stalker, and I was phasing through the boxes and away from him.

"Well, Alabaster's regeneration and Shadow Stalker's power too, eh?" Hookwolf asked. "How many other secrets you got?"

Not as many as I'd like for this type of fight...

I couldn't stop moving. If I did, he would tear me apart again. Maybe more than Alabaster's power could let me recover. Maybe enough to kill me...

We had already left the warehouse. Passed into the surrounding complex.

I also couldn't really fight him. Letting go of Shadow Stalker would leave me vulnerable. Letting go of Alabaster was a death sentence.

That left Tattletale, but I had become accustomed to her power. And if I tossed it aside, I would potentially miss something that could help me out of this situation. Besides, none of my powers could do much to him. Grue could blind him, but...

I couldn't win this. Not without some incredible luck. I also couldn't really run. Even with my ability to phase through objects, he was keeping up with me.

This might be it...

"Taylor?"

I glanced back, looking at Tattletale.

"My power's not helping you right now. You can figure something out if you let it go, I think."

"What? But you're power will tell me if I miss something, or..."

"Taylor, you took down the Merchants on your own, you just took down two Empire Capes, you can do this. Just...do what you need to. Look beyond my power."

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, and nodded. I devoted my all of my thoughts to my current problem. I cast Tattletale aside, reaching for another power.

I was following my instincts. Less thinking, more doing. Like using Sophia and Skidmark's powers against Mush.

That's a good starting point.

I stopped running, but stayed phased, allowing the monstrous wolf to run through me. The sensation was uncomfortable, but not outright painful. I had been watching him move with Tattletale's power, knew it would take time for him to stop himself and turn around. A few seconds, maybe?

I didn't like not being sure.

I laid down a track of Skidmark's power, and launched myself backwards, shifting into the shadow state as I did.

I was hoping that Hookwolf would be too large to really take advantage of the strip I left behind.

I really hated not being sure.

Once I landed on the ground, I shifted back to normal and began spreading Grue's darkness. Once the area was liberally covered, I began laying down Skidmark's power, ramping it up as much as I could. I kept Grue's power just around the area I was affecting.

I had researched Hookwolf. Knew he was ruthless. Had been Birdcage bound multiple times, and been broken out before reaching the place.

He wouldn't let someone like me just leave. Not after taking out 2 of his Capes.

I watched from inside the darkness as he approached, running at full speed. His front legs fell onto my trap, and sprang back toward him.

In a beautiful domino effect, his wolf face struck next, also sailing backwards.

His shoulders struck after that, finally launching him back in the direction that he came from.

All in all, it took a few seconds for him to be launched. Once he was launched, it took about ten seconds for him to get back up.

By that point, I was out of view.

He circled the area. Looking for any trace of me. I had fallen back on my old standby, though. Sophia and Grue could keep my hidden, and Tattletale could tell me where he was heading to look. I was able to keep a step ahead of his efforts.

It took him about twenty minutes of searching before he gave up. I watched as his blades began to fold in, pulling into himself as his human form returned. His muscular form with his long, greasy looking blonde hair. He looked the part of a Nazi warrior. He had wanted revenge for his fallen teammates, but he had given up after losing me.

And I wanted revenge for the pain he had inflicted on me. He pulled out a phone and dialed a number. I approached, keeping behind him, and keeping as quiet as possible.

As I approached him, I could hear him.

"...ot Alabaster and Victor, for sure. Didn't find Othala. I can double back and check."

He paused, listening to the person on the other end. Kaiser? Most likely.

"Yeah, seems like some sort of power thief. At least, she was able to use Alabaster and Shad..."

Luckily, I reached him before he could finish. Ripping his power and his life away. I was still breathing hard from all the running and the obviously near death experience. I could hear a voice coming out of the phone. Definitely Kaiser.

I let out a low growl, too tired to even consider dealing with this. I focused on my new power. My arm folded apart, turning into several long blades. I impaled the phone, annihilating it.

"Got an extra one..." Sophia said. I nodded as I pushed Hookwolf back and brought Grue back to the front, losing access to the blade power.

"Not exactly as we planned, but it could have gone worse. Hookwolf had a good power. It'll be useful." Tattletale said.

"I suppose." I said, quietly. I knew that using his power would be an instant giveaway. Anyone seeing it would recognize it.

"Hey, not to intrude or anything, but..."

I turned to look at Grue. He had been fairly quiet since I had taken him on. He had only really weighed in on combat situations.

"What's up?" I asked. I was beginning to feel exhausted. I considered whether Alabaster's power would help me feel more awake. I somehow knew it wouldn't.

"I was wondering if we could try to do something about my sister tomorrow?"

I looked around. the warehouse was torn to shreds. Three people were dead, even if they did deserve it, and one may have been hurt in the ensuing fight.

Being able to help a girl who was in a bad situation? That would feel good.

"Yeah, let's do that tomorrow."


	9. Chapter 9

Part 8:

I yawned as I walked down the street. After my late night, I had been hoping to sleep in. That was what Saturdays were for, after all.

Grue had argued. He basically forced me to set an alarm to get up early. I could understand, on a level. If I needed to rely on someone else to watch over my dad once I was gone...

Well, I didn't want to think about it. Tattletale had also decided to take advantage of my early morning. Had helped walk me through a costume design, and had me send it to some costume maker she had heard of. We had ordered extras, just in case they were damaged. They had been expensive, but I had the money from 4 up and coming criminals padding a bank account now.

And I was soon going to have a costume. One I hadn't been completely on board with, but one that Tattletale had convinced me would work well. And, it was supposedly made out of high quality materials. Slightly armored.

Not that it was completely necessary, with Alabaster's power. But, I supposed it would be reassuring to have.

And those would be delivered in the next few days. Hopefully discreetly. I didn't need my dad finding them and asking questions.

"We're here." Grue said, shaking me from my thoughts. I looked up at the building that we were standing in front of. It was run down, definitely in the lower end of the city.

"You sure she'll be here?" I asked.

"No, not at all. She's got a pretty nasty habit of running off when things get tough."

I nodded. He didn't need to go into more detail. His death would be trying for his family. It wasn't even my fault, but I still felt a bit guilty about it.

I entered the building and followed Grue's directions to one of the apartments. I took a deep breath and knocked, waiting for an answer.

And I waited.

And waited.

And after a few more minutes, I sighed. I put my ear to the door and couldn't hear anything on the other side. I took a quick glance around the hallway, and saw that I was alone. I swapped out Alabaster, who to my joy was pretty quiet, at least for now, and brought Sophia back to the roster.

Switching to the shadow state, I phased through the door. Once I turned back to normal, I was hit with the smell of the apartment. It reeked of spoiled food and body odor. Tattletale's power was practically screaming at me. The things it spelled out about the occupants...

I shook my head. Needed to focus.

"Nice to see mom is still the same." Grue said.

"The more things change..." Tattletale replied.

"This is your mommy's place, huh? No wonder you became a two bit villain." Sophia said.

"Fuck off." Grue said. "Let's just see if Aisha is here."

I nodded, and started wandering the apartment. It was small, which just made the mess worse. The front door led right into the kitchen, which was crawling with cockroaches. Beyond the kitchen was a split. To the right were what I assumed were the bedrooms, and to the left...

A living room. With two, barely dressed people sleeping on the couch. Tattletale's power hit back at me, harder this time. The woman of the pair was Grue's mother. No doubt about it. The man she was with...definitely not a one night stand. The set up was too comfortable. Too familiar.

On the coffee table in front of the couch was an assortment of drug paraphernalia. Some light stuff, some...much heavier. It was also obvious that they had been using it pretty heavily, with how out of it they were. No visible signs of overdose, though.

It occurred to me that this was likely the way that Skidmark, Squealer, and Mush had lived. I wondered, idly, if the merchants had been suppliers for the couple. It was likely. And if so, it was also likely that some of the old members were still handling it. They wouldn't disappear, after all. Not immediately.

I turned away from the pair, and paused. Something...something had seemed off. I couldn't be sure of what, but...I could have sworn I had seen something, just out of the corner of my eye.

Probably a trick of the light. I rationalized. For some reason, though, I couldn't shake it. My mind clung to it.

Shaking my head, I moved toward the bedrooms. The first door that I opened was clearly the mother's room. Just as trashed as the rest of the apartment that I had seen, and no Aisha.

I opened the other door, and saw...a surprisingly well kept room. Oh, it was messy, but not like the rest of the apartment. Just a teenagers standard of messiness.

I entered and began looking around. It was clear she wasn't here, but...

I paused, getting that sensation again. The feeling that something was off. Tattletale spoke up this time.

"You too?"

"You're feeling that?"

"I am. Something...little things seem off."

I nodded. "I keep thinking I'm seeing something."

"Seeing something? I don't know about that one." Tattletale said. "Something is tripping me up, but I'm not seeing anything."

I frowned. So much for that.

"She doesn't seem to be here, Grue."

"Damn. I was hoping..."

"Could she be with your dad?"

"Unlikely. We can check, if you don't mind, but..."

"No, it's fine." I said. "I don't have anything else planned for the day. And if you can think of any other places she'd go..."

Grue nodded. "Yeah, I'll try to think of something."

-

It was nearly 7 PM when I finally got home. We had wandered all over the city, Grue leading us to places that he thought his sister may have gone. All of them had turned up empty.

I mumbled a hello to my dad as we entered, and then headed up to my room, his voice following me to tell me that dinner would be ready in about half an hour.

I was barely even hungry. Just tired. I had been walking around for over 10 hours.

"I can't believe we didn't find her." Grue said as I began up the stairs.

"We can try again tomorrow." I said. "She has to be somewhere."

"I'm sure she is, but...I don't know where else to look."

"Well, we'll just go back to the same places then. She'll show up eventually. And your dad seemed nice enough."

"Yeah, sure." Grue said. I wasn't sure which comment that was to. Maybe both.

I opened the door to my room and stepped in. "Once you have your costume, and don't look like a Shadow Stalker wannabe, then we can look around at night, too." Tattletale said.

"We could look around at night now. Even without my costume."

"And what's wrong with looking like me? If she's gonna use my powers, she can at least pay..."

"Homage." Tattletale and I both said, each picking up on the word just as Sophia began to stumble. That just elicited a groan from the former hero.

"I'm still not sold on the costume, either. It's not...really my style."

"That's kind of the point." Tattletale said. "You want to disassociate your two personas from each other. Try to keep things simple. Cape life and civilian life, separated."

"Not to change the subject, but..." Grue began. I raised a hand to stop him.

"Grue, I promised I would help you find your sister, and I'm going to. After a good nights sleep, we'll head back out and find Aisha, alright?"

There was no reply. Just silence. I raised an eyebrow, and was about to speak again when I heard a voice from behind me.

"You always talk to my dead brother when you think you're alone?"

I spun around so fast that I almost fell over. Sitting on my bed was a girl, maybe a year or so younger than me. I didn't need Tattletale's power to fill me in here. I had seen both of this girl's parents today, spoken with her father, and I had her brother on retainer as one of my powers.

"Aisha." Grue said.

"How...did you get in here?"

"I've been following you all day." the girl said. I was still taking her appearance in. A stripe of purple was dyed into her hair. An act of rebellion and a cry for attention. The former aimed at her father, the latter at her mother. She had a black eye. An assault. Fairly recent. She was shaken from it, though she would try to hide it. She was smiling. Not an act. Not really. She knew something.

And then my power kicked in. My real power. I could feel her power. I could also see a slight glow around her. Golden in color. A word came to mind. Forget.

"I think..." Tattletale began. "There might be more to your own power than we thought."

I nodded, but didn't answer her. I turned my attention fully to Aisha. "You're a Cape."

"You too. Or just a nut who buys costumes. And can walk through doors. Probably a cape, though."

"You...were in your mom's apartment."

"Guilty." she said, smiling. "It was pretty funny watching you wander around. Then you started talking to yourself, and then you mentioned Grue, which was my bro's villain name."

"She knew?" Sophia asked. "You told your sister you were a villain?"

"She figured it out." Grue said.

"I wasn't talking to myself." I said, ignoring the bickering. "I...can kind of collect Capes. I found your brother and his teammates. Two had already died, he and the other were on their way out. There...was no saving them."

"So...you have him? Right here, with you now?"

I nodded, slowly. I couldn't be sure how she'd react. She displayed a hundred emotions at once, on a micro scale. Sorrow, happiness, relief, anger, and so many more. She literally didn't know how to feel.

"He asked me to find you. To help you out of your...situation."

"How, by killing me and adding me to your utility belt?"

I shook my head. "We didn't even know you were a cape." I said. I then continued. "When did that, happen? Grue wants to know."

"Well, you can tell Brian that it was the other night. I went for a walk to clear my head, after...after the funeral. Some guys came out of nowhere, tried to start shit with me. One of them hit me in the eye. After that...they just kind of wandered off. Took me until a couple of hours after I got home before I realized no one could see me."

I nodded, slowly. "Okay. Well, I'm not going to take you. I only target people who deserve it."

"So...okay, what now?"

I looked at the girl. She was a mess. Emotionally, anyway. After seeing her parents...

The mom who was so burnt out that she barely even registered the death of her son. The father with such repressed emotions that he would never let any grief show. And a young girl who needed someone to hear her out, to support her.

I walked past her, toward my door. "Stay here for a minute."

I walked down the stairs and headed into the kitchen, where my dad was still cooking.

"Hey, Taylor. Say, did I mention that my truck is running better than ever? You must be a natural at repairs."

I smiled a bit at that. "That's great, dad. But, um...can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, what's up?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I have a friend upstairs, and she could really use some help right now..."


	10. Chapter 10

Part 9:

Dinner was...a little awkward, honestly. I was constantly thanking whatever forces of the universe that I had Tattletale's power and Grue feeding me information. I was able to make it seem like I was much more familiar with Aisha than I was.

I also silently thanked her for playing along and acting shy. Everything I had learned about her from my two sources had screamed at me that she was anything but. She was, however, able to play the part fairly well.

Once we had eaten, and my dad agreed to let her stay with us while she 'worked past her issues at home', we excused ourselves to my room. I had barely closed the door before she began.

"So, now that your pop is all taken care of, care to explain why I shouldn't be freaking out about you?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but couldn't come up with anything. "I...can ask Grue stuff about you? Tell you things only he knows?"

"I...she's been kind of flighty the past few years. Not sure how much I could tell you that I haven't already." Grue said.

"Oh, like what? I mean, if what you say is true, he must have already shared a bunch. You showing up at mom's and dad's, all the other places you went, all that stuff you said downstairs."

I nodded. "True, he says there's not really much else he could tell me."

"And why were you looking for me? You didn't say that to yourself all day." Aisha asked, plopping down on my bed.

"He asked me to. He...he got into a bad situation..."

"Because of his job. Him being a villain ended up with him getting..."

"Killed? What a shock. Being a stupid criminal gets you on people's shit list." Sophia said.

"Shut up, Sophia." Grue, Tattletale, and I all said. Aisha looked concerned. "Don't worry, just one of my...partners mouthing off."

Her eyes narrowed. "How does that work? I mean, I can't see them, they don't seem to be able to do anything. How do you know you're not just nuts?"

"I...they tell me things. Things I couldn't know."

"Maybe you just get some of their memories. Maybe you're just a psycho."

I looked at the floor. "Maybe I am..."

Aisha let out a breath. "But...if what you say is true, then you...kind of...in a really fucked up and roundabout way, saved my brother."

My eyes shot up in surprise. "What?"

"Look, if you're telling the truth, which I can't be one hundred percent you are, then he was dead anyway. You kind of...preserved him. He would still be around, if you're telling the truth."

I nodded. "I...I am. I just don't know how I could really prove it."

We sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Aisha stood up. "Where is he?"

I pointed toward Grue, who was standing next to the doorway to my room. She walked over, stopping when I motioned for her to. She turned toward him.

"Brian...can you hear me?"

He sighed. "Yes, Aisha, I can." I relayed his message.

"You're an idiot. Look at what you went and did."

"I was trying to protect you. Make enough money to get you out of mom's..."

"Yeah, and you got yourself killed doing it. It's really fucking mom up. Like, more than she had been. And dad..."

"I know. He...he didn't seem great."

Silence loomed over the room again. "This is stupid."

"Shut up, Sophia." I groaned, casting her aside and bringing Mush out. My experiments throughout the day had revealed that he was one of the better choices. Alabaster wasn't awful, so far, but he was still an Empire cape.

Hookwolf and Victor were terrible. I had been called dozens of awful things in the short few minutes that I had each of them out.

They would be staying in timeout until I needed them.

"I was just trying to protect you." Was Grue's response, when he finally found the ability to speak again.

"Well, now look at how things have turned. Looks like I'm gonna need to keep an eye on you."

"What do you mean?" The question was equal parts Grue and myself.

"Well, I'm assuming you and your teammate aren't the only ones little miss reaper here has 'collected', right?"

"Um, no...there have been a few others."

"Were they on their death beds like Brian and...?"

"Tattletale."

"Like Brian and Tattletale?"

I hesitated, which she seemed to take as an answer. The grin she was wearing was almost as bad as Tattletale's, though there was also some trepidation there. She was nervous. She knew what I was capable of. What I could do with a touch.

"Thought so. Well, if you get your butt taken down, then Brian goes with you, right?"

"I...guess so." I said.

"Well then, looks like I'm gonna have to make sure you stay safe, so he stays safe."

She then shrugged. "Well, as safe as a ghost can be."

"Ask her what she means." Grue said. "How does she plan to keep you safe?"

"Aisha, how do you plan to..."

I blinked. Had I been talking to someone? I looked to Grue, Tattletale, and Mush. Grue and Mush seemed more confused than Tattletale and I.

"Something...just happened." Tattletale said.

I nodded. Something was off, I just had to...

I jumped as I felt hands grab my shoulders, and I was face to face with Aisha.

"That's how. I heard you talking about a costume earlier. You're gonna go out there, do the Cape thing..."

I nodded, slowly. Still trying to shake the disorientation of suddenly remembering her.

"Great, hero or villain?"

"Hero." I said.

"Really? With this power you're gonna...? Alright, whatever. I don't care, not my place to judge for that." Aisha said, letting go of me and backing away. "I guess that means I'll be going out with you. Acting as your back up. You could probably use some back up. At least, some that can actually do something."

"Tell her no." Grue said. "I don't want her in danger."

I opened my mouth, but hesitated. She...had a point. Having someone watching my back...it would be a good thing.

"Taylor." Grue said, sounding angrier. "Tell her no."

I sighed. He was right. "Aisha, no...you can't. It's too dangerous. People will be after me. The Empire, for one..."

"And I can make them forget about me if I'm ever in danger. Hell, I'm probably infinitely safer than you."

She was right. Her power was a neat absolute defense. There were probably blind spots, weaknesses, but it was strong.

The possibilities were already forming in my mind. Combining it with Tattletale's power would allow me to gather information at my leisure, and a lot more. I could get anywhere.

Add Shadow Stalker in, and...

I shook my head. A dangerous road to go down. "Your brother doesn't want you in danger..."

"I didn't want him in danger." Aisha said, sadness dripping out of her voice. "Look, I have powers. I'm gonna use them. One way or another. We can do it this way...us watching each other, backing each other up...or I can strike out on my own. Maybe become a vengeful vigilante. Go after the people who killed my brother."

"You would try to take down Lung? Alone? That's..." I stopped, considering that that was more or less my own plan.

I was also stopped by the look she shot me. I reached the conclusion at the same time as Tattletale, a few seconds before Grue.

"That's not really fair..." I said.

"Neither is telling me all of this then turning me away. But if we work together, maybe we can get the real killer. And keep each other alive."

I heard Grue sigh, and turned to see him fold his arms over his chest. "What do you think?" I asked. Aisha looked like she was about to respond, but realized I wasn't talking to her.

"I...I don't like it." Grue said. "But she's the kind of kid who would actually go out and try to do what she's saying. I don't like it at all, but I think having her here, where we can watch her is better."

"I agree. Plus, she can take some of the stress off of you. Be an extra set of eyes. Watch your back, all of that fun stuff." Tattletale said.

I nodded again, and turned to her. "Alright, you're in."

Aisha smiled, and then broke out into a laugh. Well, not really a laugh. More like...a cackle.

I didn't know people actually did that in real life.

"Great, so...I'll need a costume. And probably some weapons, since I don't have the power to kill people with my bare hands. Oh, and..."

I turned my attention to Grue as she continued rattling off items she would need. "This is going to be a bit of a headache, isn't it?"

"Probably..." he said.

I turned back to the girl. She looked more animated than she had since she first appeared. Tattletale's intuition was quick to fill me in.

She had never doubted me. Had assumed my...condition since she first saw me and overheard me.

She had been building up to this. To her pitch.

Both to act as a Cape and be close to what was left of her brother.

I felt myself smile. She was a bit devious, pretty cunning.

Hopefully, I wouldn't be leading her astray...


	11. Chapter 11

Part 10:

"So, Aisha's parents haven't had a problem with her staying with us?"

I shook my head at my father's question. "No, they're fine with it. They each have their own things going on." I said. It had been a few days since she showed up. We had been getting along well. Mainly, I knew, because she was getting a taste of a far more exciting world than she had been before.

My dad nodded. "Sure they do." he said. I could hear the judgement in his voice. We had given him a bit of a rundown of her actual family situation. We hadn't even finished explaining before he said that she would be welcomed.

"And...I'm sorry, I can't recall. How did you two meet?"

I hesitated for a moment. We had glazed over that, initially. "Oh, I met her and her brother through Emma and a friend of hers."

Not an exact lie, really. If not for Emma and Sophia, I wouldn't have become a Cape.

"Ahh, that's nice." he didn't sound entirely convinced. Which made sense, I had basically been a shut in until very recently.

"Anyway, what should we do? Aisha won't be back until later tonight." I said. She had gone to her mom's to pick up some of her things, and then she was going to swing by our drop spot to get her costume. It had taken a lot of discussion to settle on something she was happy with, and that fit the theme that Tattletale had helped me decide on.

"We could go catch a movie, then an early dinner?"

"Sounds nice to me." I replied. "That new comedy looked good. About the couple who are both Capes. One's a hero, and the other's a villain."

My dad chuckled. "I saw a few trailers for that, it did look good. Guess we have our plan, then."

It had been a hectic few weeks. It was nice to just sit back and relax, fall back to normalcy.

"...a hectic day for crime yesterday. Brockton Bay Central was robbed by The Travelers, a roaming gang of villains. The resulting battle between the Travelers and the Wards resulted in injuries to multiple people on the scene, including Panacea, who was in the bank at the time. Her injuries are reported to be relatively minor, and she should be able to resume regular service with New Wave soon."

"At the same time, a break in resulted in the death of two individuals, and the disappearance of their child. The Alcott's, who are relatives of Mayor Christner. Authorities have stated that Mr. and Mrs. Alcott seem to have been killed immediately upon invasion. Their daughter, Dinah, was missing from the scene, and no sign of any struggle was found in her bedroom. It is assumed, at this time, that she was taken, though the reason for that is unknown. We now go to Mayor Christner, who is issuing a statement."

"Taylor, are you okay?" my dad asked, shaking my attention away from the TV that we had been passing.

"Um, yeah, I just..."

He glanced at the TV. The report had looped. Apparently this was these were the top stories today. "Just awful..." he said. "I don't understand how things like this can happen with the PRT and Protectorate in the city."

I nodded, but my attention was still on the TV. I still had Tattletale out, was still drawing on her power. Pieces were coming together.

My dad grabbed my shoulder and pulled me away from the TV. He was trying to protect me from the horrors that were being reported. But I was already filling in gaps that I wasn't sure the authorities even knew. Connections between the events, some strange things stuck out.

I would need to research some more about this, look into the family and the Travelers, but...

I would need to do something that I had been putting off for a while. I would need to go to someone who could actually deal with the Travelers, and their boss.

Coil... one of my targets. Tattletale wanted revenge for him forcing her into service.

I had no doubt that the Travelers were brought to Brockton Bay by him. I just needed to learn how...and why. And then...

Then I would need to bring it to the heroes.

I hoped Aisha wouldn't be out too late. It looked like her costume would be getting some use sooner than we thought.


	12. Chapter 12

Part 11:

"You gotta chill out."

I shook my head. "Can't. Too stressed to even consider chilling out."

"Really? For real? The grim reaper of Capes is scared to walk into a room full of Capes?"

"Aisha, come on...you know this could go wrong about a dozen different ways."

"Should you be calling me by my name while we're in costume?" Aisha asked. I could hear the grin in her voice and I hated it. "Also, only a dozen ways this could go bad? That seems low."

"I'm being optimistic." I said.

"Is that what you call this?" Sophia asked. "Sounds like being a little whiny bitch."

"Shut up Sophia." I mumbled. I could hear Aisha giggling at that.

"I agree with the girl. Inferior as she is, she raises a good point. You are being quite insufferable."

"You're not helping, Alabaster."

"Just don't pay them any mind." Tattletale said. "A psycho and a nazi are not the people you want to listen to."

"Says another villain." Sophia replied. "She should listen to me on principle, since I'm the only hero."

Tattletale wiggled her hand back and forth. "Only in name, really. Let's not fool ourselves."

"She should listen to me, in any case, since my associates and I are the most moral of all of her victims." Alabaster said. "Between Shadow Stalker herself and Tattletale's partner...and let's not even mention the Merchants."

"I swear, if your power weren't so useful..."

"I'd still be alive?"

I groaned. I missed the days when I didn't get sass from people who were, essentially, living in my head.

"Hey, crazy pants, we doing this?"

I looked toward Aisha and sighed. I wasn't sure whether to consider her a step above my ghosts or on the same level. "Yeah, do your thing."

We had worked out a plan. The best way to go about this meeting. It required her to...

I shook my head. What was I just thinking about? I knew it was important, something to do with this meeting. Tattletale's power was trying to fill me in. Something to do with...backup?

I shook my head. I needed to trust that whatever I had worked out would go ahead as it should. I activated Sophia's power and floated down to the ground.

I was fortunate that I had figured out what I had when I had. As a result of the bank heist, the heroes were meeting specifically to discuss the Travelers and their presence in the city. Of course, the meeting was taking place at the PRT headquarters. I had been waiting for about an hour, and New Wave was just arriving.

I landed across the street from the building, in an alley, and opted to walk the rest of the way. I wanted to seem as nonthreatening as possible.

I adjusted my costume as I approached. It was a fairly intricate outfit. A white hooded cloak that ran down to my knees and separated into strips of cloth at my waist. Underneath that was a dress that looked like it was made of bandages that were wrapped around me, tightly up top and looser on the bottom. The look was completed by a mask matching the design of the dress, a pair of grey tights, and some grey flats.

Tattletale had helped me come up with the design. She said the color choices would help me seem neutral, and the over all look would be mysterious. I worried that it would send a message of self importance.

Or draw parallels to Glaistig Uaine. I had seen some pictures, of course. Her costume was...not dissimilar to mine. A tattered black cloak. Hopefully the color and intentional design of my own outfit would be different enough.

I was noticed fairly quickly by two capes that I recognized from my earlier research. Assault and Battery, of the Protectorate. What struck me about them, or Battery at least, was what my power showed me.

Everyone else that I had seen so far had a golden glow around them. It was how I was able to know who was a Cape and who wasn't/ Battery's glow, though, was silver.

I...didn't know what that meant. Tattletale's power told me that it meant something, a different sort of power? A different source?

Too little information to go on.

And the pair was staring at me. Soon joined by Lady Photon and Brandish. I could tell they were uneasy at my approach.

"Remember to stay in character. We practiced this." Tattletale said.

I wanted to nod, or say something, but I wanted to avoid them all thinking I was crazy.

Assault was the one to approach me. Battery was close behind him, with Lady Photon and Brandish watching from where they had been standing.

"Hey there." Assault said, looking up and down the street. "Who are you?"

I took a deep breath. I needed to act confident. Needed to seem like I knew what I was doing.

I looked right at Assault, meeting his eyes. "I go by Elysium. I am a new Cape in the city, and I have information pertaining to the robbery and home invasion that took place yesterday."

At that, Brandish approached. "You know something? How?"

I glanced to her. Her body language screamed concern and anger. Made sense. both of her daughters had been at the bank. Panacea had gotten the worst of the attack, but Glory Girl had been injured as well.

Apparently the Travelers were pretty heavy hitters.

"I have my ways. Would it be too much to be allowed into this meeting?"

Assault and Battery looked to each other, and the latter stepped away.

"She's gonna go call it in. I...don't think it'll be a problem." Assault said.

I nodded and waited. After a few moments, Battery returned. "Armsmaster said to let her in."

Assault nodded, and led me and New Wave into the building. Many of the PRT officers inside watched me suspiciously. I supposed I couldn't really blame them.

We were led to a conference room, and I was surprised to find Armsmaster waiting inside for us. Brandish and Lady Photon took seats on one side of the table, and I took a seat on the other side. Armsmaster was joined at the end by Assault and Battery.

His attention was solely on me. "Elysium, I take it?"

"Correct." I said, nodding. The slightest movement from him. He was analyzing me. He had something...

A lie detector in his helmet. I would need to be careful.

"The gathering place of deceased heroes in Greek mythology." Armsmaster said. An internet browser, too? This was why Tinkers were considered the most adaptable Capes by many.

It kind of made me want access to more Tinker powers. That was a dangerous thought to have, though.

"Any particular reason for the choice of name?" I could hear the accusation and worry in his voice.

"It seemed to fit." I said. I knew this was likely to come up. The heroes would want to know who they were working with...or potentially against. I let out a light sigh as I pressed on. "My power...it allows me to commune with the dead."

I could see everyone in the room stiffen. They had all jumped to the same conclusion.

"When you say that..." Battery began. I raised a hand to cut her off. Confidence. Tattletale said to be confident.

"I am able to speak with, and draw upon the powers of, some Capes who have fallen since my trigger. I am aware of your concerns, but I assure you that I am not a risk of becoming another Faerie Queen."

They were all still afraid. I could see it. I could practically feel it.

I felt something in my hand, and looked down to see a piece of paper. I unrolled it and read the note, and then smiled. "If it will help you to feel more at ease. My associate will be able to vouch for me."

"Associate?" Armsmaster asked. I could hear the tension in his voice, see it in his movements. He was ready to attack. I just had to hope he had enough sense not to.

Everyone gasped at the appearance of Aisha. Her costume was a black bodysuit with a dark blue wave pattern on it, and a dark blue mask with only eye holes.

"Allow me to introduce Lethe."

Armsmaster was, once again, the one to break the silence. "The river of the forgotten in Greek mythology. I'm noticing a pattern."

"Teams do tend to have a thematic tie to each other, do they not?"

"Yeah, I was never all that into myths in school, but I guess the name fits." Lethe said, kicking her feet up onto the table. She was contrasting the attitude that I was displaying perfectly. Almost as though we had planned it.

God, did I wish we had planned it.

Still, the tension did drain from the room. The Faerie Queen had never worked with anyone. She had appeared, murdered, and then been whisked away to the Birdcage.

Just by merit of me having another Cape that I was working with, it would offer a degree of separation between me and her.

"You...you said you had information?" Brandish asked.

"Indeed. When I learned that the assault on the Alcott household and the bank robbery occurred at the same time, it set off a few alarms. I decided to look into it further."

"And...what did you find?" Battery asked.

"Yes, what could you have found that we haven't?" Armsmaster asked.

"Well, firstly, I believe I know who brought the Travelers to the city."

"They could have come on their own."

I could hear Tattletale scoff, even as I grinned behind my mask. "Unlikely. Their appearances in other cities tend to coincide with long standing disputes suddenly finding resolution. Two gangs fighting in a city? If the Travelers appear, there is likely to be only one before they leave. A robbery of an item a long standing villain wants may occur. So on, so forth."

"You're saying they do jobs for other villains? Why?"

Lethe shrugged. "Does it matter? They're hired help. They follow, not lead."

I nodded. "As she says. They seem to move from place to place, taking jobs and then moving on."

"And you believe you know who their employer is?" Armsmaster asked. He was taking notes, somehow. A recording software, most likely.

"Correct. Pictures of Trickster revealed that it was unlikely that Empire 88 would hire them. They would also be more likely to fold a new group fully into their organization, rather than simply hiring them. Similarly, the ABB is unlikely to approach them for the same reason. They don't fit with them. With the Merchants gone, that leaves only one other power in the city. One who's well known to hire soldiers."

"Coil..." Assault said.

I nodded. "It would be a logical step to assume that he would expand his operations to move beyond simple mercenaries, and into the field of Parahumans."

"Still, with no proof..."

"Does it matter? He's a villain. I know I'm right. You can investigate it as you wish. I know I will be." I said.

"You haven't mentioned anything about the Alcotts."

"Ahh, yes. A quick search of school record revealed that Dinah Alcott had missed a number of days of school recently, complaining of incredibly severe headaches. She also made claims that she had been able to see the future."

"She triggered?" Lady Photon asked.

"A precog..." Armsmaster added.

"An ability that many people would do quite a bit to get access to." I said.

"And I'm betting it's not just for lotto numbers." Lethe said.

"Depending on how her powers might have manifested, it could make anyone with access to her untouchable." Battery said.

"If this is true..." Armsmaster said.

"It is. I am 97% certain." I said.

"I'd take that bet." Lethe added.

Silence reigned over the room for a moment.

"Did one of the...fallen, you mentioned before tell you all of this?" Assault asked.

"They did assist me in my discoveries, yes." I said. "And Lethe, of course."

All eyes went to Armsmaster. He was looking right at me. "You believe you're telling the truth about all of this Coil business. We'll look into it." he said.

The way he said it, though. He believed me about Coil, but not something else...

My eyes widened slightly, despite my effort to control my expressions. Tattletale's power was feeding me information, and I could see her as she appeared in my line of sight. She looked as concerned as I did.

He suspects. I thought. He can't prove it without seeing me use my power, but he suspects I played a part in the deaths of all of my ghosts.


	13. Chapter 13

Interlude: The Protectorate

They all watched as the two girls left. The conversation hadn't lasted long after they had divulged what they claimed to know about Coil's involvement in the heist and the Alcott case.

They had departed with a promise that they were on the same side, and they would continue to forward any information that they learned.

New Wave left at the same time, claiming they wanted to visit Panacea before it got too late.

"What do you think, boss?"

It was Assault who spoke. He had a knack for being a go-getter in the most stressful circumstances.

"I'm afraid I need you to elaborate." Armsmaster said. He was sure his grimace could be heard as easily as it could be seen.

"Well, I mean, we've been looking into some of the...suspicious deaths lately. A cape...dressed like that... who claims she can 'commune with the dead?"

"Do you think she...could be like her? That she could..."

"Difficult to say. Her careful word choice was telling. If she drew upon powers of random deceased Capes, then she could assuage concerns by using one who did not die under suspicious circumstances."

"All of the recent deaths in the city have been suspicious." Battery said.

"True." Armsmaster said.

"You've been tracking all of them, right? Keeping tabs? There were the Merchants, some Empire Capes..." Assault began, then hesitated, looking to Battery.

"The Undersiders, but that was undoubtedly Lung." Battery continued. "And that just leaves..."

"Shadow Stalker." Armsmaster said. "The first one."

He and Dragon had poured over all of the available information after Sophia Hess' death was reported. All they were able to find was that her heart stopped suddenly. There were no immediate signs of foul play.

And then they found the Merchants. Their deaths had been...not unexpected. He knew there was a pool around the PRT HQ on which of them would be found having suffered an overdose first.

But...that was the surprise. They hadn't overdosed. At least, not apparently. Again, their hearts had just stopped. Their blood had been tested, and while drugs were present, it shouldn't have been a lethal dosage for any of them.

And then the Empire Capes...Victor, Alabaster, and even Hookwolf. One of the lieutenants, a man thought to be nearly indestructible. Very few of the established heroes in the city could go toe to toe with him.

And he was dead, killed under mysterious circumstances. Potentially claimed by that girl.

"Boss...how do we handle this?"

Armsmaster sighed. So few of the current Capes really knew what it had been like when the self proposed Faerie Queen had been active. He hadn't actually faced her, but he had reviewed all of the files on her. What little footage there was of her fights.

"I'll have to meet with Director Piggot and discuss this. Dragon too, perhaps. For the time being...remain hands off."

"What?" Battery asked.

"She's extended an alliance for now, and if she is behind all of the mysterious deaths, then she's been primarily targeting villains."

"That's not..."

"I'm not defending her actions, but if our suspicions are correct, then she's incredibly dangerous. Targeting her may result in her responding in kind, and each potential confrontation could result in her becoming stronger. That's not the kind of fight we want on our hands right now. Not with Lung acting out lately, and not with an Endbringer attack quickly approaching."

Assault and Battery nodded, and then walked away. Armsmaster was already making notes, scheduling meetings with the director and Dragon, noting the recently deceased Capes to look more into what was known on their powers, and potential ways to counter Elysium's partner.

He sighed. He had already been up for too long, and it seemed he was not going to get much sleep tonight either.


	14. Chapter 14

Part 12:

I sighed as I pulled out the disposable cell phone that I had purchased and checked it again. Aisha and I had each gotten some when we decided we would be going out in costume together. Better to be able to communicate.

And, it hadn't taken much brain power to figure out that she was skipping out on school pretty regularly. Since she was liable to so that anyway (Even Grue had agreed) we decided to put her to work.

We had gotten the idea after our meeting with the Protectorate and New Wave. She had stuck behind to listen in on their thoughts. It had been risky, but it had worked.

We learned that I was considered dangerous. Too risky to start a fight with, but not exactly trusted.

That was partly Tattletale's fault. She had helped design my costume, had played into the references to the Faerie Queen's costume.

Though, I wasn't free of blame. I had gone along with it.

But, I supposed, it did have the desired effect. I could use their weariness, build a trust. Aisha and I...or Elysium and Lethe, rather, had been doing just that over the past couple of weeks. Busting up muggings, drug deals, any crime we happened upon. And always delivering the perps to the police.

And, we had avoided other Capes at all costs. Partly because I didn't want to be thrown into the spotlight. I didn't need more attention.

Aisha had learned that the Empire was, in fact, at least partly aware of me. I wasn't sure how villains interacted with each other, but I had to play it smart, and assume all of the gangs would know of me, on some level.

I wished we could know for sure, but the ABB generally didn't have any way for me to gather information from afar, and Coil seemed to be obsessively upping his security constantly. I was able to catch glimpses of some of his dealings, but operating on the outside was a major disadvantage when dealing with him. At least, according to Tattletale.

And I wasn't going to send Aisha to search into their dealings. If something happened to her... I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.

I had been relying on Grue and Alabaster, mostly, in the field. And keeping Tattletale active, of course. Shadow Stalker had been on regular rotation as well. I had also used Victor a handful of times. Thanks to his power, I was now proficient with small firearms, speaking Japanese, Cantonese, and German, and had even picked up some medical skills and some martial arts.

I hated that some of my most useful ghosts were Nazis.

And now, despite all of my powers, all that I had gained, I was sitting in the cafeteria at school, hoping for an update from Aisha in regard to her patrolling on an E88 warehouse. They were the gang most aware of me, so they needed to be the most prominent on my radar.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and shook my head, trying to put my attention elsewhere. I glanced up to see someone approaching my table. I recognized her...

"Hey Taylor." the girl said.

"Charlotte." I responded. I knew I sounded suspicious, but I had a right to. This girl was...okay, not one of Emma's inner circle, but she had been a hanger on. Not participating directly in my torment, but not helping me.

I relied on Tattletale's power. Reading into her every slight move. She was clearly nervous, bordering on outright uncomfortable. She practically had shame pouring off of her, and she was struggling to say something...

"Oh hell." Tattletale said. "You really not getting this?"

I wanted to roll my eyes at her, but restrained myself. She knew I understood. "Did you want to sit, Charlotte?"

She relaxed a bit as she nodded and sat down.

"What can I do for you, Charlotte?"

"I...I just wanted to come over and..."

I could hear Grue chuckling. He couldn't even read into her body language like Tattletale and I could, but he could see where this was going. I imagined it was partly his fault that I was actually enjoying this so much.

Ever since my little display with Emma, there had been something of a...paradigm shift. People had been more hesitant to mess with me, even as early as the Monday following the scene. A few members of the inner circle of bitches had tried it, but after a few choice words, they had backed down as well.

Madison was still avoiding me like the plague, and I was thrilled to find that her little cutesy act had faded away a bit.

Emma...she had seemed more disturbed by the event than Madison. Which made sense. I had gone after a far more personal scar when I targeted her. Something that had impacted her deeply and caused her whole view on the world to change.

She had become despondent in class, almost flagrantly ignoring the teacher's in favor of her phone. Of course, she had gotten away with it.

But, for the last week, she hadn't shown up at all. I had dug into the school's emails, and saw that her parents were excusing her each day, so I hadn't pushed her to doing something too terrible. As much as I hated her now, I didn't want her death on my head.

So...combining the sudden vacuum in the school's power structure, and me using Tattletale's power to help me pick out some better clothes, and I was suddenly garnering a bit more attention than I had before. Nothing too intense. A tighter pair of jeans and I had lost the baggy sweatshirt. Brockton Bay was warm anyway, and the early May weather was already showing signs of a nice spring.

I had to be careful, though. I didn't want my sudden surge in confidence to coincide with the sudden appearance of a dangerous new cape. That would be a really stupid way to get outed.

But, well...it was nice not having to dread school every day.

"Look, Charlotte, I'm past all of the bullying stuff, okay? You never really did anything to me, so while you didn't really help me out, you didn't add too much."

I could see her flinch at my words, but she nodded. "Yeah, I...I know. I should have done something, but Emma and Sophia, they just..."

"I get it, Charlotte." I said. "I don't want to talk about this any more, alright. Consider your conscience clean."

"Oh...okay." Charlotte said. She took a bite of her food, clearly looking for something to say.

"You should send her away." Victor said. "She's clearly a Jew. You could make a better breed of friends. I mean, you're already hanging around with that n-"

I dismissed Victor, barely able to hide my grimace, and called Sophia back out. She could be a pain in the ass, but at least she wasn't racist.

I glanced back at Charlotte. She was actually trying, which was more than most of my fellow classmates had been doing. "So, what did you think of that math test the other day?"

She seemed pleased to actually be engaged in a conversation.

"You're actually chatting with her?" Sophia asked. "She's a sheep, Hebert. A follower. Prey."

I tensed my muscles a bit and made a sign under the table. I could visualize Tattletale's face as she spoke. "Taylor would like you to maintain silence for the time being, Psycho Stalker."

"Fuck off, Tattletale, you don't get to boss me around."

"True, I suppose, though I can see that Taylor's considering bringing one of the Nazi's out over you, so..."

"Bull shit! No way I'm getting packed away for one of those skinheads again. Tell her, Hebert."

"Taylor? Are you okay?" Charlotte asked.

"Hmmm? Yeah, I'm fine."

"You...don't look fine. You look really angry, actually..."

I had to take stock of myself. I could feel the grimace on my face. Damn it.

"Sorry, Charlotte, just...thought of something unpleasant." A hurt look crossed her face, and I mentally sighed as I backpedaled. "Not because of you or anything you said, just...something I was thinking about before you came over here."

"Oh...is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so. It's not a big deal, really. It's just..." I paused as I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out of my pocket and scanned the text that Aisha sent me.

It was coded, so that only the two of us could understand it. And it was not the greatest news.

I stood up and grabbed my tray. "Sorry, Charlotte. I need to go." I said.

"Oh...okay. Are...is everything okay?"

"Just a bit of an emergency." I replied. "But I'll be fine. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

I left the confused girl behind, dumping my tray on the way out of the cafeteria.

"So, what's the plan, spooky?"

"Do you need to call me that, Aisha?"

She cackled and flopped back onto my bed. "Um, duh. Of course I do. It bugs you. Anyway, we know now that the Empire of Douchebags are planning on making a move on you."

"Right. I wish we knew how they knew as much about us. I mean...they know about you, and both of our names."

"Those goons down at the warehouse didn't know where it came from. It's probably only with the higher ups. Now, if you wanted me to, I could track down Kaiser and..."

"No!" Grue and I shouted at the same time. "Too risky."

"So, what then? You gonna touch of death them?"

I shook my head. "Not going to do anything to draw extra attention. I have enough powers for now."

"Really? You can't think of anything that you could do with Kaiser's power?"

I could. Easily, actually. My mind practically whirred with ideas any time I thought of what would happen if I added another Cape to my collection. I could use Kaiser and Grue together for absolute control over a battlefield. Or if I combined his power with Sophia's, then...

I shook my head. "Not the point. I'd rather stay off the Protectorate's radar. I don't need Kaiser's power so badly that it's worth turning every hero against me."

"Could just go after Lung too."

I sighed. She knew that was the plan, eventually. "We will, but it's tough to go after him when we can't find where he's hiding. And that new Tinker of his is a problem."

Bakuda, the ABB's newest recruit, had decided to make herself known in a little show of force with New Wave. Apparently, she had developed grenades that emulated the concussive force of Flashbang's attacks.

The ABB had gotten a pretty decisive victory that day. Since then, she had been kept on the back burner, but...

"She could mix things up in a bad way."

"I could sneak in and steal some of her bombs."

"No way. Stealing a Tinker's work is too dangerous. Could have tracking devices..."

"I wouldn't be hanging onto them."

"And you wouldn't know what they do, necessarily."

"You're no fun."

"Yeah, well, we're not going after them until we're ready." I said. "No reason to attract the rage of a dragon if we don't need to."

"Don't need to piss him off if we sneak you in and you just touch him and..." she made a grabbing and pulling motion.

I shook my head, even as Tattletale laughed. "Not yet. The Empire is our first priority. And even then, I only want to engage them if we need to. No..." I imitated the yanking motion that Aisha had made.

"So lame." Aisha said. "You could become, like, the empress of the city."

"Not what I want, Aisha." As it was, I was already fairly content. I had fixed my problems at school, more or less. My grades were improving, I wasn't being bullied. I had made friends with Aisha, my dad didn't seem as down as he had been, probably as a result of me being more upbeat. I had quite a bit of money at my disposal.

And I was using my powers to help people. We hadn't done much, yet, but...we had saved a few people from bad days and potential injury.

I wasn't in any rush to do anything that could upset that balance.

"Are we clear? No starting anything with the Empire."

"Yeah, yeah. I get you, 'mom'."

"Good. Then let's get some sleep. Not every night that we'll be able to rest up."

I was shaken from my sleep by the sound of knocking on my bedroom door.

"Taylor, Aisha, you need to get up!"

My dad's voice was frantic. It took me a moment to actually register that. But once I did, I started taking in everything. The sound of rain pounding on my windows, the sound of the sirens in the distance, cars honking and people yelling outside.

I jumped out of bed and ran to my door. I saw Aisha had done the same.

"We need to get to a shelter. Come on, we need to get to the car." my dad said. "Grab some clothes, and let's go."

I looked to Aisha. Her eyes were wide, I could tell she was scared, but she nodded.

We each turned and entered our rooms. I grabbed my backpack shoved some clothes into it. I took a moment to listen, and could hear my dad rustling in his room. I used Sophia's power to move quickly and silently to the basement, and retrieved my costume. Aisha would already have hers.

I didn't want to do this...didn't want to worry my dad, or risk him doing something when he learned we were separated, but...

I couldn't ignore this. Couldn't just sit back and ignore it.

Leviathan, an Endbringer, was attacking. Heores and Villains would be out, risking their lives. And I would join them. I had to.

I was shaking, and as much as I told myself that it was just nerves, apprehension, I couldn't ignore what I felt.

A twinge of excitement.


	15. Chapter 15

Interlude: The Broken (II)

Emma sighed as she paced back and forth. She had been out here for hours, on the edge of town, waiting.

It had taken surprisingly little to convince her parents, once again, that she was staying at Madison's house. They assumed she was taking solace in one friend to recover from the passing of another. They never even questioned whether she could be up to something else.

They had asked some questions when they received her bank statement and found all of her savings had been drained. It had actually resulted in quite an argument. A few thousand dollars just disappearing would do that. She had claimed she had needed it for an emergency, refused to elaborate further.

They had relented with just grounding her for a week.

It hadn't stopped her from getting to her...'meetings'.

And now she found herself standing in a field, waiting. She was tired, she was getting antsy, and it was starting to rain.

She pulled out her phone and looked at it. A bit after 6:30 in the morning. She Hadn't been able to sleep at all. A mixture of excitement and nerves...and not having a place to sleep that she would have been able to sneak out of.

It should be any minute. she thought.

6:45. Just a few more minutes.

Her phone was nearly dead. She couldn't even distract herself with games or music. All she could do was wait in the cold. And the rain was getting worse, and...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sirens going off. She had heard them before, when tests were conducted.

This didn't feel like a test.

From her vantage point, high on a hill that was overlooking the city, she could see everything. It was amazing how quickly people leaped to action at the noise. Even as she was registering what must be happening, she could feel the rain worsening.

She felt a gust of wind from behind her, and turned quickly to see the now familiar doorway. The Doctor stood just inside of it.

"Good morning, Sophie."

Emma didn't respond. Partly because she felt like an idiot for choosing a false name so close to Sophia's. She could practically imagine the other girl's sneer. "Miss me that much?"

Partly, she was in shock at how unsurprised the Doctor was.

"Is...is what I think happening down there really happening?"

The older woman leaned slightly, apparently trying for a better look. "It would appear so. It seems Leviathan has chosen to strike this city."

"Did you know about this?"

"No. We knew an Endbringer attack would occur soon, of course, but we are never aware of their targets or any other factors."

Emma looked down. She supposed if anyone had the foresight to know an attack was coming, they would do something to stop it.

"Are you ready? We should proceed."

"What? But...everyone here...my family."

"There is little that you would be able to do with your current capabilities." The Doctor said.

"But, with the procedure, I could...?" Emma didn't even finish her question before the doctor was shaking her head.

"No, you will not be able to participate in this battle, barring incredible unforeseen circumstances. You will not have a grasp on your power, and will be drained. You'll likely sleep through the entire battle."

Emma felt like she was going to cry. Her family, her friends...they could all be dead in a few hours, and she couldn't so anything.

"Sophie, do you want to proceed with the procedure? Keep in mind that there are no refunds."

Emma nodded before the question was even fully out of the woman's mouth. She wanted powers, was willing to give anything for them. She could help in the future, if she had powers.

"Then I suggest we proceed. And, you should attempt to clear your mind. I'm sure you're concerned for the well being of your loved ones, but worrying could impact the effects of the formula."

Emma glanced back at the city again, then nodded. "Right...I'll try." she said, walking toward the door.

The Doctor began going over the procedure again as she led Emma down the halls. Emma wasn't listening. She was still thinking of what she had seen. The evacuations starting, the rain worsening.

It might have been a trick, but she could have sworn she saw the monster's silhouette.

She was led to a room, and sat in something similar to a dentist's chair. The Doctor was still talking. Going over how psychological factors could impact the results of the formula. More information she had already received.

She had given so much to get here. All of her money, and a promise of more. Servitude, of a sort, as well. 5 favors that could be called in at any time. A potential deal with the devil.

Which, made sense. It had been almost too easy. A couple of days of furiously searching for ways to gain powers, to induce a trigger event. She had been contacted when she had almost given up hope.

The Doctor and her staff had confirmed what she had thought. Emma lacked the ability to trigger on her own. She could never naturally gain powers.

But Cauldron could supply her with some. She didn't have much say in the power at all, due to her lack of funds. But if it made her strong? She didn't care.

The woman was still talking. Still wasting her time. Emma's mind continued to drift. She knew the risks, knew that this could go horribly wrong, turn her into a monster. The Doctor had assured her that their process was improving, that the risk was fairly low. She had to hope it was low enough.

She thought of her friends, her family. People she may never see again. Leviathan could wash them away, take them from her while she was still powerless.

If he did...she would make him pay when next he showed his face. She would have the power to...

The Doctor handed her the vial. It felt cold to the touch. She could see the cooler it had been removed from behind the woman.

She was holding her destiny in her hands. Pure potential in liquid form.

She tried to clear her head as she drank.

She failed. Two thoughts arose as she drank. The images of the two people that had helped her get to this point were prominent in her mind.

Sophia had called her strong, seen her for the survivor she was. She had taught her the way the world truly worked. But that had been where it ended. She hadn't done anything to help push Emma to be stronger. She had been content to know that she was a survivor. Even she had stagnated, gotten sloppy. She was caught being too rough with criminals, forced to join the Wards. If it hadn't been for her and her dad, then Sophia could have ended up in Juvie. Sophia had stagnated, a bit. Emma could see that now. She had been a hunter, true, but she hadn't been at the top of the food chain as she would have others believe.

And, when Sophia had fallen, Taylor had stepped up. With Sophia absent, and the threat that she naturally presented to Taylor as a hunter far above her, Taylor had grown bolder. She had actually started to stand up for herself. But, it had been at Emma's expense. Taylor boosted herself by tearing Emma down.

And, it was in this way, that Taylor had pushed Emma to become stronger. The same way Emma had intended to push Taylor.

As Emma's consciousness was carried away, shown a vision she couldn't comprehend and wouldn't remember, she thought of the two friends that she had held closest in the past...

 _I will be strong. Strong enough that I'll surpass what Sophia was. Strong enough that Taylor won't be able to think she's stronger than me._

 _..._

 _Please...please let me be strong._


	16. Chapter 16

Part 13:

I looked down to the streets and saw all of the people crashing against each other. Hampering one another in an attempt to get to safety, or out of town all together. If not for Shadow Stalker's ability, I would be down there with them, trying to force my way through.

As it was, even moving by rooftop was difficult. The rain was pouring down, far worse than I had ever seen before. My visibility was down, everything was slick.

The fight hadn't even started yet, and I was feeling my stress beginning to mount. I could see why casualty rates could be so high during an Endbringer fight.

I had to hope that Lethe was able to keep up. She didn't have the same mobility that I did.

I shook my head. Needed to focus. A wrong move, one misstep, could lead to me missing a jump. Losing time, which I may need. Luckily, I had gained practice jumping across the roofs of the city over the past couple of months.

"I've been to an Endbringer fight, before." Sophia said.

"Have some words of wisdom for us?" Tattletale asked.

"Yeah, so shut up and let me talk, big mouth." Sophia shot back.

"Hookwolf has been in a few Endbringer battles as well." Alabaster said. "And, it's likely he's seen more of the front line than this little..." He quieted himself as the three of us glared at him. A sigh escaped his lips, and he shook his head. "He'll be able to offer more than she can."

"He's also very difficult to deal with." I said. "More so than Sophia. What have you got for me?"

"So, they split everyone up into groups based on what they're good at. I was on search and rescue. Not much I could do to hurt Behemoth." Sophia said. "They also have ranged attackers, up close attackers, healers."

"Ranged is out." I said. "We could maybe toss stuff at Leviathan with Skidmark's power, but I doubt that would do much. We can't heal, either."

"So you gotta figure out if you want to do search and rescue or get up close and personal. I think you know where my vote is." Sophia continued.

"Ooh, what a shock. The psycho wants you to have a boxing match with Leviathan." Tattletale said.

"You disagree?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, no. With the powers you have, you could make a huge difference on the front line. Hookwolf and Alabaster alone could help you keep his attention...probably indefinitely. Maybe add Mush for some added defense..."

I shook my head. "No, Mush's power would get in the way, it doesn't meld. Hookwolf is offense and defense, enough." Using Mush would draw in debris, garbage. It would get caught up in the blades. It would basically be me tripping myself with my own trap.

"Well, Grue's out. Using his power would cause more problems than it would solve, too. Squealer won't contribute here, and you already tossed Skiddy out."

"Might switch him in and out. Could be useful depending on the circumstance."

"Sure. Victor's out for the same reason Grue is. His power won't contribute, and may just hurt our side. So...me and Psycho Stalker?"

"I hate you."

"Love you too, Soph."

"Yeah. Probably leave you in the most, Tattletale. Can't hurt Leviathan if I'm phasing around, and we may be able to pick something up..."

"You're really gonna bench me for this? I fought Behemoth."

"I'll be using you as I need to, but...information could help us. Could be invaluable."

I could hear Sophia grumbling, but apparently the promise that she wasn't really being benched was worth something.

I took one last, long leap and glided down to the street, landing just in front of the Protectorate building. A few people jumped as I did. I glanced around, seeing no sign of Lethe. Fortunately, I knew she wasn't using her power at the moment, which hopefully meant she was doing alright.

"Elysium..."

I instantly tensed at the voice. I turned slowly to face the speaker. "Armsmaster."

"We were curious as to whether you would come out for this."

"well, I wasn't going to..."

I was stopped as he raised a hand. "I'd like to talk with you. Privately."

Tattletale appeared in my vision, looking as nervous as I felt.

Armsmaster turned and entered the building, apparently just expecting me to follow.

"He's not likely to just let you join the others if you don't go along with his shit." Sophia said.

I sighed and entered the building. Armsmaster led us to a meeting room like the one that the meeting where I had introduced myself. As we entered, Armsmaster closed the door. I turned to look at him, and noticed him taking his halberd into his hands.

"Are you planning on attacking me? Not exactly in keeping with the truce. And it's a little odd that you'd just choose to attack another hero out of the blue..."

"Enough. Give me one reason why I shouldn't have you locked up until this battle is over."

"And remove a capable hero from the field?"

"A 'hero' who has a questionable history and a potentially horrifying power."

I sighed. "I've been working with you. Me and Lethe. We've been busting gang activity..."

"And the mysterious murders within the city have dropped off since you made yourself known to us, which is as suspicious as them occurring in the first place."

I stared at him for a moment. I was trying to take everything I could in, look for some way out of this. "You brought me in here to accuse me of murdering capes?"

"And to prevent you from taking advantage of this battle. When you approached, I made note of you utilizing Shadow Stalker's power. If my assumptions are correct, then you also had a hand in the deaths of the three Merchant Capes as well as Alabaster, Victor, and Hookwolf of Empire 88."

There was something there. Something beyond the obvious denial. I was thankful for my mask when it came to me. A quick switch of my powers, and...

"I can understand your apprehension, your nervousness. My power, on the surface, does resemble Glaistig Uaine's. It's part of the reason I was hesitant to come forward." I said, allowing Grue's darkness to begin rolling off of me. As it began to appear, I could read the surprise in Armsmaster's body language.

"But to bring me aside, and call me a murderer when I came to you and supplied you with information to help you solve two issues facing the city, after me and my partner have spent weeks assisting with keeping the city safe, and after I came here, risking my life, to fight an Endbringer? That's low. I haven't done anything to earn this treatment."

I took a breath, then continued. "If I'm such a suspect, then explain this. Grue's ability to generate darkness. I've read the stories, know the reports. Lung killed the Undersiders."

A silence rang between us. Armsmaster was confused, faced with information he hadn't been expecting. I would need to push to get out of this situation. "Now, if it's alright, I'll be joining the others and trying to prepare for my first Endbringer fight." I turned away, reaching for the door.

"Elysium."

I turned slightly, just getting Armsmaster into my vision.

"If you do anything today to take advantage of this fight, if I have any reason to suspect our theories on you are correct, the Endbringer Truce won't protect you. The Capes of this city are my responsibility."

"Noted."

I opened the door and stepped into the hall.

"So, no new friends today?" Alabaster asked.

"I wasn't planning on it anyway." I said.

"We're going to need to be careful around him." Tattletale said.

I nodded. I doubted my possession of Grue's power would dissuade him for long. I would need to do something to keep him off my back.

But we could worry about that later.


	17. Chapter 17

Part 14:

"He's cheerful." Tattletale said.

"Yeah, well...he can be however he wants. I just want to stay away from him." I said, rushing down the hall. A few PRT officers were directing other Capes who were coming in further into the building. I followed the crowd, and soon found myself in a gathering room. There were windows lining the room, allowing us to see the city and the bay.

And it was full of Capes. Some I knew...New Wave and the local Protectorate members.

And then there were the ones I hadn't met who I recognized. It was easy to spot the Empire 88 Capes. Kaiser, in his full armor, with Krieg and Storm Tiger at his side. I also recognized Night and Fog just behind them.

Purity was standing a distance away. My research had shown that she was trying to go solo, become a hero. People still associated her with the Empire, though. I felt bad for her, really.

I knew how tough it could be to be seen as a hero.

I noticed the ABB was missing. Strange, given the rivalry they had going with the Empire. Would Lung really sit back and let Kaiser gain the rep from showing up to this fight?

Turning away from the Nazis, I spotted the Travelers. It was interesting that they would show up here, despite being nomadic. If I was right, it may have been Coil telling them to show up.

I turned from them and noticed the three heroes that I knew, above all else, would be at the fight. Legend, Alexandria, and Eidolon. The Triumvirate. Every Cape dreamed of being counted among their ranks.

Even getting the chance to speak with them would be amazing.

As I was looking at them, I began to notice something. It had caught me off guard when I saw Battery for the first time that her...aura, for lack of a better term, had been silver instead of gold. But looking at the Triumvirate, they were the same. Looking around the room, there were a number of Capes with the different aura. All of the Travelers, Triumph...they all had that silver aura.

As did all of the mutated Capes. The Case 53's, as they had been dubbed. Faultline's crew had a number of them present. I saw one boy with metallic skin.

All of them. Did it mean something? Tattlerale's power was telling me there was, but I didn't know what. I was missing something.

I turned my attention back to the Triumvirate. They were among the strongest in the world. Did the silver aura denote a higher potential?

Kind of. All of the silver aura Capes did seem stronger than average, but no...there was something else.

Then I noticed Alexandria. She seemed to notice that I was staring at her. She barely reacted. A slight twitch of the eyes and a slight twitch of her mouth into a smirk.

"Intentional." Tattletale said, mirroring my own deduction. "She knows your watching, is reacting carefully to you."

"Why would she do that?" Grue asked. "Trying to let you know she knows your reading her?"

"Maybe? I mean, yes, partly. But there's something else."

I was still watching her. She was good. Was keeping herself in near perfect control of her reactions. But a bit slipped through. Maybe it was all intentional, but it didn't really matter. Either way, I had the info.

She knows about the different auras. Or the reasons behind them, anyway.

"Hey there." I nearly jumped as a voice called from behind me. Turning around, I saw Aegis, the current leader of the Brockton Bay Wards. "Sorry. You looked a little lost. Figured I would come over and see if you needed help."

I was trying to regain my composure, to calm myself down. The combination of what I had been learning and being scared by Aegis had knocked me off kilter.

"Aww, you're gonna show us around? So sweet." Another slight jump as I turned to look at Lethe. I could tell she was grinning behind her mask.

"Yeah, well, we all need to stick together in times like this, right?" Aegis asked.

"Yeah, right." I said.

He held up two devices for each of us to take. "Looks like you'll be needing these. They're armbands made by Dragon. They allow us to coordinate. They'll update us to Leviathan's location, let us communicate, and let us know when..."

He didn't need to finish. It would let us know when someone died.

We each snapped the armbands on.

"Please speak your names and allignment."

"Lethe, hero."

"Elysium, hero."

The armbands confirmed our names, but my attention had shifted back to Aegis. Another benefit of Tattletale's power, I had seen him tense slightly when we spoke our names.

He had been briefed on us. Of course he would be. Armsmaster had seen us as a threat. He would probably tell the Wards to avoid us.

To his benefit, he barely let it show. "So, you want to meet the rest of the Wards?"

"Sure, sounds like fun." Lethe said. "Right, boss?"

"Don't call me boss. We don't have a chain of command." I said.

Aegis chuckled. "Come on, I can introduce the two of you."

Lethe was following right behind Aegis, while I followed a bit behind, still scanning the room. I caught Armsmaster as he entered. His eyes were on me, and I could tell he wasn't happy to see me with Aegis.

I turned my attention back to the boy and caught him mid sentence. "...Lethe and Elysium."

"Hey, Wards." Lethe said.

"Hello." I mumbled. Looking around the group, I could see that they were all here. Gallant, Clockblocker, Vista, Kid Win, the new recruit, Browbeat.

And they all seemed a bit on edge, with the exception of Gallant. Things were making more sense now. Information filling in.

"Armsmaster warned them about you. Told them you were a threat." Tattletale said. "They saw you come in, and Gallant read your emotions, told them that you had no intention of attacking anyone here. That you seem good, more or less. Aegis decided to extend the olive branch, so to speak. They're still on edge, but they're not overtly worried."

"So..." Clockblocker said, looking at me. "You been active long?"

"Not too long. Only about the last month, maybe month and a half." I said. "Lethe joined me not too long after I started going out."

"That's right. Saved her butt from trouble more than once." Lethe said.

"Always nice to have someone watching your back." Gallant said. "Out of curiosity, have you two considered the Wards? It's a pretty good program."

I shook my head. "No, I...don't think I'd fit." I said. He was still reading me. I could tell.

"Where the boss goes, I go." Lethe said.

"I said, I'm not your boss." I grumbled.

"Hey, this a gathering of the Wards?" I turned and saw the metallic boy and a girl wearing a purple costume with white armor.

"Weld, Flechette. How goes it?" Aegis asked.

"Well, could be better." The girl, I took her to be Flechette, said. She was glancing out the window.

"These two some of yours, or are they from some other city?" Weld asked.

"We're from here, but we're not Wards." I said. "We're independent."

"This is Elysium and Lethe." Aegis said. "They're pretty new to the Cape scene."

"Well, nice to meet you." Weld said, extending a hand to each of us. Lethe shook first, then I did. I noticed the concern pouring off the Wards as I shook his hand. That hurt. They had no reason to think I was going to slaughter people here.

"So, what can you guys do?" Flechette asked. "I mean, we all know each other, but..."

"I disappear." Lethe said. "Elysium does a lot of things."

"Jack of all trades? A bunch of minor powers?" Weld asked.

"Not minor."

"Shut up, Lethe." I said. "I'm able to call upon a number of powers. That's...all I care to say right now."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group for a moment. Luckily, Weld broke it.

"Fair enough. I know how important the element of surprise can be. I'm sure we'll see a bit of what you're capable of soon." The beginning of his sentence was lighthearted, the end had an edge of seriousness to it.

"Right." I said.

The Wards continued chatting, but I zoned out a bit. Tattletale was glancing around the room, Grue was looking at Lethe. Alabaster was, thankfully, being quiet. He was looking toward the Empire capes.

I could see some shifting, and Legend seemed to make his presence more known. He cleared his throat and began a pre-battle speech. He told us that Armsmaster and Dragon had been able to see this coming in the time necessary to let us prepare. That one in four of us would not survive the fight...

Even still, even with the seriousness of the subject, hearing him speak was inspiring.

He then started dividing the Capes into groups. The first would be led by Alexandria and Dragon. These were the Capes who were functionally invincible. I hesitated. Did I fit in with this group?

I could still be killed. It was just tough. Alabaster made sure of that.

The second group were up close fighters who didn't fit into the first group. They would be led by Armsmaster and Chevalier.

Aegis and Weld began moving forward.

"I think this might be you." Lethe said.

I nodded. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'll find my spot. Just don't get yourself drowned."

"You too." I said, following Weld and Aegis.

Armsmaster's eyes were on me as I approached the group.

HE headed me off, keeping me just out of hearing distance from the group.

"Are you sure you belong here?" he asked me.

"I don't think I'm invincible enough to fit into Alexandria's group, but I should be able to do some damage."

He seemed displeased, but why...?

My eyes widened. "You...you're planning something." I said.

I could see him tense.

"You...think you can do something...something big. You...think you can kill Leviathan."

My words were quiet, to ensure no one else heard.

I glanced to his halberd. "A new weapon."

"Enough." he said.

I looked at him. I knew what his answer would be, but I needed to ask.

"Do you really think it'll work?"

He hesitated for a moment, then one quick nod affirmed it.

Another moment of silence passed between us. Finally, I spoke.

"Can...can I help?"

He hesitated again, then shook his head. "Just do as you're instructed."

I lowered my eyes as he turned and walked away from me. I walked over and joined the group, staying near Weld and Aegis.

As the last of the Capes were being split up, I heard shouts. I could see forcefields being put up as a wave crashed into the building. A yell for Strider to carry us all outside.

The air was pushed from my lungs and I was suddenly ouside.

The group leaders were trying to organize everyone. I rushed to Armsmaster and Chevalier, looking around as I moved.

We could all see him. Leviathan, standing above the remains of the boardwalk. His monstrous form was more horrible to behold than one could ever imagine from images and videos.

"Get ready!" Legend called.

As if responding to Legend's call, Leviathan moved. He was incredibly fast. So fast that I didn't even have time to take a breath before he was in the middle of us. Blood was already mixing with the water.

The armbands were calling out already. Carapacitator down, CD-5. Krieg down, CD-5. WCM deceased, CD-5. Iron Falcon down, CD-5. Saurian down, CD-5.


	18. Chapter 18

Part 15:

There are some things that one just can't understand until they experience it first hand. Every time that I've gone out in costume had reinforced that belief.

Leviathan's speed? His sheer power? Those were incredible. He inserted himself into our group and injured numerous people so quickly...

But his water echo was something else. The torrents of water that were flowing off of him was truly unthinkable. He had the ability to 'throw' it at people. He didn't need to here. The amount that was pouring off of him, even as he just stood there, was enough to knock some of us off balance.

I was knocked down completely, falling onto my back. I tried to stand, but the pouring water and the weight of the cloak I wore was making it far more difficult. I was about to swap to Sophia when I felt a hand grab me and pull me out. I felt myself being pulled by the same hand.

Once enough water cleared from my eyes, I opened them and saw Aegis. He had a forced grin on his face as he looked back at me. "Having a rough time?"

I nodded as he released my hand. I shrugged off my cloak and let it fall into the water. It felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders.

"Gonna come back for that later?" he asked, looking down the road.

I shook my head as I turned to look where he was staring. Leviathan had progressed a bit. Moved ever so slightly further into our front line. "I have extras." I said absently.

Aegis whistled. "Must have been expensive to buy multiple costumes."

I shrugged. "It wasn't a big consideration." It had been Tattletale's money. Well, all of the Undersiders, except for Grue. I had given what funds he had earned to Aisha. "Kind of a shame, though. The costume loses a lot of the effect without that. I just kind of look like I'm doing a mummy impression." I added, looking toward Tattletale slightly. She had been the driving force in the design of this costume. I didn't know what reason she had for wanting the top half to look like bandages wrapped around me, but...

I shook my head. It didn't matter now.

"Well, we should get back to it." he said. He sounded unsure.

"Have you...done this before?" I asked, rolling my shoulders.

He nodded. "Search and rescue during the last Behemoth fight. Even with my power, I couldn't get near him."

I nodded.

"This, though? Leviathan...if we can take any of them down, I think it's him. He doesn't have the kill field, or the scream..." he looked at me and grinned. "I think we'll kill him. Maybe not today, but some day. And then we'll move on to the next."

I smiled under my mask, and nodded. I wasn't sure he was right, but I could hope.

The smile fell from his face a bit, replaced with a more serious expression. "See you over there?"

I nodded, looking around the street. A plan was already forming. "Yeah, I'll join up in a minute."

He flew off, not waiting for a further response. I switched Grue out for Sophia, shifting into the Shadow State to move more easily through the water. I then jumped into the air and landed on the fire escape of one of the buildings nearby. Once there, I continued my ascent.

"I'm taking so much in." Tattletale said. "So much information here."

"Yeah. It's...kind of distracting."

"You can take me out of action. Use someone else?"

I shook my head. "No, might need the info. Just need to turn it somewhere more applicable."

I reached the roof of the building and started running across it. Leviathan was four buildings down. I could reach him easily if he didn't move.

I could see capes flying around. Aegis was easy enough to spot. Alexandria, Legend and Eidolon, too.

I could see Kaiser's twin capes, Fenja and Menja as well. They were matching Leviathan's height and attacking him with everything they had. He was bleeding, acting defensively.

But the wounds were superficial. One of the tidbits I was picking up with Tattletale's power.

My own power was actually kicking in and feeding hers a bit. Leviathan had an aura, traces of gold and silver here and there, but predominantly black. And it was...different than the Capes. Closer to his body than theirs extended, had a different feel. That alone wouldn't have set me off, completely. Everyone knew the Endbringers were something extraordinary. But with the intuition I had...

"He's not human. Never was. None of them were, I bet." Tattletale said.

"He's connected to Capes, but isn't one. Not really. Something...wherever our powers come from is connected to them, but...they're not the same."

I reached the rooftop closest to Leviathan. He was still a ways off. I could make it to him with a well timed jump...

"You just come up here for a better view, Hebert?" Sophia asked.

"No. Thinking. Shut up." I said. I was looking over the scene, trying to formulate the best plan.

I could see far more of the battle from here. Plenty of the Empire Capes were right in the fray. Kaiser was summoning blades to impale Leviathan's leg. I could see Night, standing a distance away.

Kaiser turned his attention to her for a moment, and I could make out the barest of nods. Walls of blades rose around her, blocking her from view. It created a path, a sort of hallway, that led right to the leg Kaiser had been assaulting.

An instant after it formed, Leviathan reacted, forcing it's leg through the blades and away from the woman.

She was already retreating, once again in her human form.

An interesting synergy. Not the way I would have gone about it, but...

My eyes jumped to Alexandria as she flew past Leviathan. Other Capes were backing away, making room.

I had seen clips of Endbringer fights on TV. I knew what she was doing. This would be my chance.

I cast Shadow Stalker away, pulling out Hookwolf. I could feel his aggression as he appeared.

"Your friends are down there." I said. "Kaiser, Night, all of them. If you feel any sense of camaraderie with them, just keep your mouth shut and let me do what I need to do."

I turned and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. I could feel his anger, but he didn't react.

I turned myself back to the fight, feeling his power start to wash over me. I approached the edge of the roof as Alexandria began to rear up.

I had seen this particular tactic used against Behemoth. Tattletale's power filled in a bit of info, let me make an assumption on how this would work against Leviathan, given the difference in their sizes.

Alexandria flew forward while Legend fired lasers from behind her. He wasn't trying to do damage, just distract. He would stop when she made contact.

Which she did, like a missile. The sound was almost deafening. Even still, I jumped into the air just above where Leviathan would stop skidding, from my estimates.

As I took to the air, I pushed Hookwolf's power into overdrive. I hadn't really experimented with it. Using his power would draw a lot of attention. In this situation, though, there wasn't much of a choice.

I did have a choice, however, over the form I took. Hookwolf was partial to his namesake animal as a form. I didn't have the connection to that that he did. I was more willing to change it up than he had been. If I wanted this to work, I needed to be able to really get a grip on the creature.

And, given the amount of deceiving I had been doing lately, the form of a serpent was somewhat appropriate.

Tapping into this power now was like I had finally let it out of it's cage. It practically screamed to be used to it's full effect.

I was happy to oblige, in this case.

The feeling of the change was...strange. My flesh was pulled into a core, and blades replaced it. The blades, however, felt as 'real' as my true body did.

I took advantage of the berth that others had given to allow Alexandria her attack and landed directly on Leviathan. I allowed the blades that my body was now made of to propel me around him, tearing into him anywhere that I touched. I could see, barely, people reacting to my presence. Word of Hookwolf's death had spread pretty quickly. For people to see his power, now, would raise questions.

Hopefully people would wait to ask them.

Leviathan shook off any surprise he may have felt pretty quickly, and started grabbing at me. His claws were able to grip and shatter some of my blades. Luckily for me, Alabaster's power made sure that the damage didn't stick.

I was able to get a solid minute of attacking off, with Legend and some of the other blasters taking shots where they could. Finally, water rose around Leviathan and exploded outward, forcing me away from him. As I flew through the air, I shifted to grow legs and stuck into the wall of a building. I clawed my way down to the ground, only shifting back to normal once I noticed he was gone.

People were shocked, but only a handful continued staring at me. The rest moved on, trying to find Leviathan.

Kaiser was one of the few still casting me a glance. I could see the resentment, the hatred, in his eyes.

Tattletale's power said he probably wouldn't try anything here.

60% sure.

I cast Hookwolf aside for Shadow Stalker, and took to the roofs again. I looked around, but couldn't see any sign of fighting.

"You did a number on him."

I turned and saw Kid Win on his hoverboard. He was apprehensive, scared. Not just of Leviathan.

"I tried." I said. "Any sign of him?"

"No, not ye..." he trailed off, and I turned just in time to see our target rise out of the water about 4 blocks away.

"Right." I said, shifting into the shadow state and taking off. He would recognize it, but I had already shown my hand, and they had their suspicions about me. Using this power wouldn't be any more damning than any other.

Kid Win was able to reach our destination before me, but not too much faster.

I could see the remnants of my attack. Gouges all over the Endbringers body.

Even these wounds were superficial. I was learning more and more as I viewed it. It became denser the further toward it's center you got, harder to hurt.

It was currently going toe to toe with Chevalier and Myrrdin. I could see Kid Win floating near Aegis. Glory Girl was nearby as well.

Alexandria was back in the fray as well.

Too many people, too close. I wouldn't be able to use the same tactic as before.

I brought Hookwolf back out, sending Shadow Stalker away again. I shifted, this time taking a smaller form. Feline, rather than canine. I still wanted to distance myself from Hookwolf as much as possible.

I wanted to wait for the best opportunity, but as I watched, he swatted Glory Girl away, knocking her into a building. Kid Win was knocked away with the afterimage of his swipe.

When he grabbed Aegis and started squeezing, I realized I likely wouldn't have an opportune time.

I sprung into action, gripping the creature's arm with claws made of hooks and scythes. I started ripping into him again.

Another wave of water saw me removed from him. Even with all of the blades to help me grip. I jumped at him, only to be knocked further into the air by his tail. Before I could get my bearings, I felt something else strike me with incredible force.

It took me a moment to realize what had happened. What he had thrown.

A long moment of my bladed body slicing into Aegis' already battered form.

I forced myself to change back. Even knowing the pain that was coming.

To our benefit, we struck glass instead of steel or concrete. Luckily for Aegis, I struck first.

The pain was awful, but only lasted a moment. I was refreshed before I hit the floor.

The pain of skidding against the floor at such a speed was dealt with similarly.

And then Aegis colliding with me at the same speed.

If not for Alabaster, I'd definitely be out of the fight. Maybe even dead.

I stood up, shaking the glass from my costume. Even with the pain gone, I was still beginning to feel mentally exhausted.

I heard a gurgling, and looked down. I couldn't help but to gasp at the sight.

Aegis was crushed from the chest down. The noticeable imprints of Leviathan's clawed fingers across his body. Deep gouges also existed where my own power had struck him.

"His power is trying to help him." Tattletale said.

I shook my head.

"It's...I don't think..."

"No." I said, kneeling down. "There has to be something..."

"You don't have any powers that can help him...he has maybe a few minutes before even his power gives up, and then..."

I lifted my armband and pressed in both of the buttons. "I...I need a healer." I said. "Aegis, he's...he's in really bad shape. If he doesn't get help, he'll..."

"All of our best movers are out of commission." a voice said. "We can get a flier to your location. ETA is five minutes."

"We don't have that long, he'll...he's gonna..."

The voice didn't respond. The silence was as damning as anything else. They had given up. Accepted this.

I let go of the buttons. No one could help now.

"Taylor, listen...it's not your fault. This is a risk that people know about going into these fights..." Tattletale said.

"Would he be dying if not for me? If I hadn't been right there? Using Hookwolf's power?"

Tattletale went silent, now. Just like the responder on the armband had.

"I'm not guilt free here..." I said. "I thought I could do good here, but..."

None of my ghosts spoke. This would be a prime time for either of the Empire Capes to take a shot at me, to kick me while I was down.

They didn't, though.

I looked over Aegis. I could make out what was happening. Organs trying to take over the jobs of others that had already failed, even as they themselves were failing. Muscles trying to take on the support role of bones that had been crushed.

None of it was working. He was barely conscious now.

I could feel tears coming to my eyes. I had seen death. I had caused it, multiple times. But this...

He didn't deserve this. Didn't deserve to be crushed, and then sliced by someone who should have been an ally.

"Listen...I...I know you know about me. Kind of, anyway." I said. I didn't even really know if he could hear me. "I...I can't save you. Can't keep you alive. I...I don't have the power. But I can preserve you, kind of. I didn't want to, but it would keep you around, in some manner. And I...just give me a sign. If you don't want me to, that's fine. I understand, but if you do."

I heard a gurgling sound. It was maybe just some death throes. But I was fairly certain that I knew what it meant.

"I'm, like, 66% sure of what that means, and if I'm wrong, I'm so sorry."

My costume had been designed very intricately, my fingers left exposed. Just in case.

I touched his hand, and squeezed.

I felt his power pass to me as the life fled his body.

Aegis deceased, CD-7.

I sat for a moment. More alerts were coming in. I couldn't pay them any mind.

I cast Hookwolf aside, and brought Aegis out. He seemed disoriented, out of it.

I could feel the slightest change to my body as his power set in. I looked at him, determination filling me. I remembered his words, from right after he pulled me from the water.

"I think we'll kill him. Maybe not today, but some day."

I wiped some tears from my eyes, even though it was pointless. More would come, and even if they weren't, the rain would still be dousing me.

I stood up, my shoulders still hunched, but my eyes were locked on Aegis'.

"Let's go get that fucker."


	19. Chapter 19

Part 16:

I blasted out of the hole that had been made when Aegis and I had been thrown into the building. I had only possessed it for a moment, but I could already appreciate how useful flight was.

I soared into the air, and scanned the battlefield. Leviathan was easy to spot. In addition to his size, he was currently being attacked by a number of ranged fighters. I saw Purity's blasts, a miniature sun courtesy of Sundancer. I headed that way.

"So...it really is true, huh?"

I cast a quick glance back at Aegis. "...yeah."

He didn't say anything else. He looked to Tattletale and Alabaster, but remained silent.

I ignored it. I was already feeling guilty. His reaction wasn't helping.

Sophia had been a mistake, the Undersiders had been an attempt to preserve them. Give them some degree of life back after what Lung had done.

The villains...it was still fishy, hard to justify, but they had been bad people. The Merchants forced drugs on people, the Empire Capes were racists.

Aegis had been the first hero I had intentionally taken. And he had only been in the position he was because of me, and Hookwolf's power. He might have survived if not for me.

I stopped above Leviathan, shaking myself from my thoughts. I couldn't allow myself to be distracted. I took in the scene. Leviathan was swatting away the Capes who were attacking him. Sundancer and Purity, the two heaviest hitters were down. I saw the remnants of cloth creatures scattered around him. The cloth using Cape, a Rogue if I remembered right, must have been fighting him as well.

And as I looked at the creature, more information flooded into my mind, and a sickening fact presented itself.

"None of this is actually hurting him." Tattletale mumbled. "All the damage is superficial, at best."

Calculations were appearing, density, how much stronger he became the further in he got.

I shook my head. It didn't matter. We couldn't just stop. They had run before, when they got hurt enough. I rose into the air, stopping about 20 feet above him. There were other fliers in the area, and people on the ground. A momentary ceasefire while everyone weighed the options.

I didn't need to anymore. I cast Aegis aside, pulling Hookwolf back out. As I fell, I shifted into a mass of blades, the serpentine form as I had before. I launched into my attack the second I made contact, encircling and cutting into him.

He tried to fight me off for a moment before ducking away as he had before. I fell to the ground and shifted back to my normal form. It was easier to gauge everything in my normal form. I switched Hookwolf for Aegis again and took to the air. My armband announced Leviathan's latest location, and I took off.

There were more people near him in the new location. They had likely fallen back, tried to gather what was left of a real force. I landed and took in the current scene. More of the cloth creatures were engaging the Endbringer. Buying time?

I nodded. There was something going on. A plan being formed.

I saw Armsmaster, Chevalier, Myrddin, Alexandria, and Legend gathered tightly. They were at the crux of whatever was coming. I took a step forward, wanted to offer my assistance. I stopped as a blast of flame flew in front of me. It landed less than a foot away, causing the water on the ground to erupt into steam. More than a few eyes turned in the direction that the blast had come from.

I saw a man in a gray hooded costume. His hand was aglow with flame. I could see satisfaction in his body language. Next to him was a woman that I recognized easily.

"Othala...Fog...what the hell?"

"Apologies." Fog said. His voice was eerie. Something seemed...off about it. "It seems my aim is lacking. this is not my usual venue of attack."

Lies. He wasn't sorry, his aim wasn't lacking. The only truth was that this wasn't how he usually attacked.

And I could also tell that he was put up to this by Othala.

I glared at her. "Attacking people here? Now?"

"You killed them. We suspected the second we saw you, that you were the one Hookwolf told Kaiser about. But...Hookwolf, Alabaster...my Victor..."

I shook my head. "Now's not the time for this." I said.

Othala shook her head. "I don't care. I'll..."

She stopped as I floated over to her, splashing into the water as I landed. She packed up, placing Fog between myself and her.

"Yes, I slighted your gang, attacked you and them. Part of that is the dynamic, right? Hero against villain. There are risks associated with that. It was just as likely that I could have died, going out against you all. I didn't I was lucky, they weren't." I growled out. "And I spared you, so that you could be around for something like this, offering your help."

I looked down at my hands, lowering my voice a bit. "And if I hadn't...if I had taken you, then I could have saved a life a few minutes ago. I glared at her harder. "And now you're attacking me? Sure, I deserve it, but not here and now. We can hash out our problems later, once this is all over. If you're not going to play nice, then maybe I should take away your ability to play at all..."

Othala's expression hadn't changed. She still looked filled with hate, but I could also see tears in her eyes. "Why...why take him? Why my Victor?"

Oh, great...they were together.

I looked down. "I...won't bother trying to rationalize it. It doesn't matter, does it? Nothing I say will make it right to you. I know that." I said. "But...not here, not now."

Othala took a step forward, but Fog held out an arm, stopping her. "A fair request. It would be in all of our interest to avoid breaching the truce. Many eyes are on us, after all."

I looked around, and saw that he was right. Our little exchange had drawn a bit of attention. I could even see Armsmaster and Alexandria glancing our way.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again. Our message was received. Farewell for now."

I shook my head as the man led Othala away. I wanted to follow, to take out some of my aggression on them. The knowledge that there was a bigger threat stopped me.

And, almost as if on cue, a ripping sound brought my attention back to the fight. I turned just in time to see one of the fabric monsters collapsing to the ground. I turned my attention back to the small group of heroes. With the Empire Capes gone, I could turn my attention back to them. I approached slowly, and could hear the tail end of Alexandria speaking.

"...sure it'll work?"

"So long as I'm working with known variables, yes." Armsmaster said. "I'm confident that I'll be able to..."

He trailed off, noticing the others reacting to my presence. He turned his attention to me. "Elysium."

"Armsmaster, I...I wanted to help. Is there anything I can...?"

"No, your assistance is not needed here." he said.

I looked around, taking in the battered Capes. Even he, Myrddin, and Chevalier looked to be in rough shape. I, on the other hand, was still in good shape thanks to Alabaster's power. "But I'm still in good shape. Not tired or hurt. I can distract him, and I can use Hookwolf's power to..."

He shook his head. "No, you'd just get in the way. The best thing you could do is stay out of the way." he said, drawing his halberd. It had a strange glow to it.

Some sort of nanoweapon. Something that would rip things apart on a molecular level.

Shit...

Another tearing sound corresponded with the other cloth creature falling. Alexandria and Legend looked to each other. "Seems like now's the time, Armsmaster."

The man gave a curt nod.

"We'll go, then. I hope you're right about this."

His plan...he thought his weapon could kill Leviathan. Something else was fueling him. Another invention that would let him go toe to toe with the creature.

The four other heroes left, and Armsmaster rolled shoulder and started walking. I ran over and stepped into his path.

"Get out of my way, and leave the area."

"No, you need to listen...your weapon, it won't work."

He paused, looking at his blade. "I've tested it extensively. It won't malfunction."

"That's not what I'm saying. It won't work. It won't kill him. The Endbringer's, they're too touhg. They get more resilient the deeper you cut. That blade, no matter how good it is, can't kill him."

Another pause as Armsmaster stared at his weapon. Finally, he looked back to the creature that was now tangling with some members of New Wave. "Noted." he finally said. "Now, vacate the area and don't interfere."

My mouth fell open, and I could feel my anger rising. "Seriously? You...you're walking into a deathtrap. He'll rip you apart..."

"If you don't leave, I'll have you removed. Truce or no."

I shut my mouth, my jaw clenching against my will. "Fine. Can't say I didn't warn you." I said, turning and walking away from him. I took off and landed on top of a building overlooking the scene.

Capes began backing away, leaving Armsmaster to approach Leviathan. The monster took notice, tilting it's head as he approached.

I shook my head as I watched him, only stopping when I noticed the others.

Chevalier and Myrddin fell in step behind Armsmaster. Legend and Alexandria floated above him.

Tattletale's power was filling me in again. Missing pieces were becoming apparent.

His other invention was some sort of prediction software. It would allow him to see Leviathan's attacks coming.

And the other 4 Capes had faced Leviathan numerous times. Enough that there would be plenty of data on them as well.

I couldn't help it, a grin came to my face. It was clever. The 4 others would just do what they had done in previous fights. Armsmaster would use his program to step around them all, landing hits where he could. He may also have been directing the others...

Scratch that, he definitely was.

And that was why he wanted me gone. I was an unknown element. Even with known powers, my execution would be different.

I sat on the edge of the building. This was going to be something to behold.


	20. Chapter 20

Part 17:

"This is idiotic." Alabaster said. "5 against Leviathan isn't going to work. Whole groups get wiped out by him no problem."

"They wouldn't be doing this if they didn't think it was worthwhile." Aegis said. His voice was low, he still sounded a bit distressed. It made sense, of course, but...

"It's an interesting idea." Tattletale said. "I don't know if it'll work, but it's interesting."

"Armsmaster's no slouch. He can be abrasive, but...he's a good leader. And a strong Cape." Aegis said.

"I think they're starting." I said.

Sure enough, the scene was shifting slightly. Leviathan, who seemed almost like he was watching the scene, had shifted slightly. He was in a more predatory stance. Even still, his focus wasn't entirely there. The waves that Eidolon was still fighting off was proof to that.

Turning to the heroes, I could see Armsmaster shift slightly, could tell he was speaking, and then they started.

Alexandria blasted forward, followed quickly by some blasts from Legend. The blasts peppered Leviathan a split second before Alexandria nailed him with a devastating punch. She backed away as Leviathan began to retaliate, sending a wave of water her way. It had nearly reached her when it was sucked away by Myrddin.

Leviathan turned his attention to the wizardly Cape when a huge sword struck him. Chevalier's blade sunk into the creature's back, and he pulled it out. Leviathan kept his attention on Myrddin, even with the assault.

That was when Armsmaster sprung into action. He moved forward, taking confident steps. His pace was perfect to allow him to pass to Leviathan through the attempted attacks of the monster and Chevalier. Fortunately, he was able to draw attention away from Myrddin by doing this.

He struck with his halberd as soon as he was in range, causing a mist to erupt from the Endbringer as it connected. He managed to land a few hits before backing off just in time to dodge a strike from the beast. All the while, Chevalier and Legend continued their assaults.

Leviathan lowered himself into a slightly crouched position again, clearly intending to charge forward, only to be met with an overhead strike from Alexandria. He was pushed closer to the ground, and in the moment that it took him to begin to recover she was able to wind up and strike again while Legend continued his barrage.

And Armsmaster was able to slip in and begin his assault again, this time targeting Leviathan's face and upper torso. More of the mist spread into the air. It was almost too brutal to watch.

If not for the fact that it was an Endbringer being targeted, I assumed some people would have turned away.

"All superficial." Tattletale said, shaking her head. "Not good enough. They're wasting time. Diminishing the damage they could be doing."

"No one's died yet." Aegis said.

"But if they can't hurt him..." I mumbled.

None of my ghosts spoke. They knew where I was going with that thought. Endbringers only left when they sustained enouhg damage.

Or when they won.

My attention turned to Myrddin, who was drawing more water away while allowing blast of...something to emerge from another dimension to strike Leviathan. Even through that, Armsmaster was remaining untouched. How often had the man used that trick in that specific way?

I could hear murmurs from the people nearest me. They were already talking like victory was in sight. Like these five would be able to push Leviathan back by themselves.

None of them noticed me standing from my spot. None of them could pick up on what I could.

The assault was the same, the attack at the same intensity as it had been at the beginning, if not more. But Leviathan wasn't reacting now. Even to Armsmaster's bizarre weapon.

Another swing, one which would have easily connected a moment earlier, was caught in the creature's hand, cutting into his palm. The mist fiercly billowing from the wound, until it just...stopped. Leviathan wrenched, pulling Armsmaster in a jerking motion. Even from where I stood, I could tell his shoulder was dislocated right then.

Before the force from the pull had even been halted, Leviathan's tail swung, and an echo of water sprung from it. It connected right at Armsmaster's shoulder, severing his arm instantly.

"Hyper dense water." Tattletale said. It was more for the other two ghosts than me. She knew I had gotten the information at the same time she did. "If he had thrown a wall of it, it would have been like concrete striking him. With it shooting out the way it did...it's like a blade."

"He's switching things up. Lured them into a false sense of security, then started using new tricks." I mumbled. No one was really paying me any attention, but I didn't want to risk being overheard. I didn't need anything else pointing to the 'the new cape is crazy' camp.

Armsmaster fell to the ground, and was instantly pushed away by the torrent pouring off of Leviathan. It was more forceful than normal, another newer trick for this battle. On top of the amputated arm and the bleeding that accompanied it, Armsmaster would have some broken bones. And that was on the light side of the potential injuries.

Walls of water sprung up behind Myrddin and Chevalier, almost as though Leviathan could hear Tattletale and was taking her advice. The water walls struck the men, knocking them forward and past Leviathan. I could tell that they would be in only slightly better shape than Armsmaster. Myrddin, anyway. Chevalier's armor...well, it was hard to tell exactly what it could take, but he was in a better position. That might be why he was pushed further away.

Alexandria was grabbed out of the sky by Leviathan's tail, and expertly tossed toward Legend. Water from his tail propelled her forward faster than she should have gone, and Legend was struck. He transformed into his light form, allowing Alexandria to pass through. The water continued to carry her away from the scene.

The people who had been watching began to stir into action. Some were panicked, some begrudgingly accepted the necessity of them rejoining the fight.

I lifted into the air and flew down to where Armsmaster had landed. A few others were already attending to him, which I assumed meant he was still alive. I nodded to myself, and then headed toward Leviathan.

"Okay, so they might be sadistic." Tattletale said. "He was fucking with them. Letting them think they had a chance. Then he ripped them apart. Except for Alexandria and Legend, but that's to be expected."

"I hope Armsmaster is okay." Aegis said.

"Yeah, me too." I said. He was a jerk, but he was a hero. He had done a lot of good. Had saved a lot of people. And, I had looked up to him as a kid. I just hoped it wouldn't be a foolish mistake that took him out.

As I approached Leviathan, I could see him sending walls of water at people who were attempting to attack him. Apparently, he had grown attached to this tactic. As he saw me, he raised his tail in the same way he had when he attacked Armsmaster. I swapped Tattletale out for Hookwolf just in time for the blade of water to strike me. I was sliced clean in two from under my right arm to my left hip. For a moment, blades and other metal hung loose from my new wounds. Then Alabaster's power kicked in, restoring me.

I landed, and cast Aegis aside for Tattletale. I felt my blades emerge as I shifted into a serpentine form and rushed forward. I slipped between people, though most were quick to get out of my way if they were able to. Once I reached my target, I shifted to a feline form and began to strike. I cut deep, targeting areas where he had been injured already when I could. He tried sending walls at me, but I was able to slip around them easily enough.

After a few moments, he grabbed me from both ends and tore me in two, tossing each half as far as he could. My power restored me to where my top half landed. I poised myself to strike again, looking for an opportunity to slip in through all of the attackers.

I heard some shouts, and turned to see a massive wave coming. One far too big for Eidolon and the others to stop. It would have been too much to stop even at the beginning of the fight.

"Jesus..." Alabaster whispered.

"Guess playtime's over." Tattletale said.

Then we heard a clapping noise, and the wave just...stopped. I turned to Leviathan just in time to see a golden beam strike him.

I let out a breath I hadn't been fully aware I was holding. Scion was here. Someone who was guaranteed to push Leviathan back. A guaranteed win.

I had stopped paying attention to the calls of the injured and the fallen, but...this couldn't be one of the worst battles.

I turned to take in the strongest hero on Earth, seeing him in person for the first time.

Then I stopped. My brain locked up upon seeing him. My power...one of my actual powers, kicking into overdrive. My sight, which allowed me to see Capes, to witness their auras. He had the same golden aura many Capes did.

His was massive. Far larger than any I had seen before. And it was connected to every other golden aura. Even my own. But that wasn't all. He had another line, unlike the one going to us, but it just trailed off into nothing. It disappeared.

Something was strange. Tattletale's power was struggling to tell me what. I watched as he continued blasting Leviathan. My eyes were glued to Scion.

I cast Hookwolf back and brought Aegis out, and floated into the air to be able to see more of the fight.

I was so close to putting it together that it hurt. I just had to keep looking, if I could just...

"You can see it, can't you?"

I jumped, pulled from my thoughts by the voice of Alexandria. A mix of surprise and being star struck kept my tongue tied.

She smirked slightly. "I figured you could see powers. Wondered what would happen if he showed up."

I looked back to Scion, who was still in the midst of thrashing Leviathan. "He...he's where our powers come from, isn't he?"

Alexandria's smirk widened a bit as she nodded. I turned my attention back to her fully. I wasn't going to get my answer at this point. Not with her here.

"But not you. Or Legend, Eidolon, Battery...your powers are unconnected. You got them somewhere else."

"Correct." Alexandria said. "And I would ask you to keep all of this secret. Scion and us."

My mouth fell open. It took me a moment to close it, and another to consider the words I wanted to speak. "Why...? People have been trying to figure out powers for years. Where they come from, how to get them...and you know. You know all of it. Why keep that knowledge from people?"

"We have our reasons. I'll need you to trust that they're important reasons." Alexandria said. Her eyes were on Leviathan and Scion. A quick glance showed that Eidolon had joined in.

I narrowed my eyes. I didn't like it. The idea of sitting on something like this.

"We can explain. But not now. Not yet."

"'We'?" I asked. "Not just the Triumvirate. An organization other than the Protectorate..."

"Cauldron. You'd figure it out with a bit of digging, I'm sure. No point in trying to hide it."

Cauldron. I thought. I made a note to look up anything on them later.

"When can you explain? If you're going to ask me to keep something like this in blind faith..."

"I can't tell you, exactly. It won't be too long."

"What, you'll come looking for me?"

"Not at all." She held out her hand, and I saw a small device in it. I took it and eyed it curiously.

"A pager, of sorts. Type a message at the right time, and we'll provide answers."

"And how will I know the right time?"

I was getting sick of her smirk. She acted like she knew exactly what was going to be said, and already had answers prepared.

"I'm told you'll know exactly the right moment."

I turned my eyes back to the device, looking it over.

"No tracking devices or anything like that. We have no interest in hunting you down at home."

I looked to her, and after a moment nodded. I stuffed the device into a special pouch that was installed in the back of my costume. I had been assured it was waterproof. I hadn't actually tested it yet, but the fact that it still felt dry was a plus.

Alexandria began floating off, apparently not seeing reason to say anything else. I turned back to see Scion chase Leviathan as he retreated into the water. Some of the connections began to fade from my sight, but I could tell they were still there.

I sat on the nearest building.

Scion is where our powers came from...but why? And how...

It had been some time since I last felt unsure of something. Since I didn't know the answer to something.

I didn't like it.

"An interesting day." Tattletale said.

"To say the least." I replied.

The rain was already stopping. That alone was a relief.

"I should probably get back to the shelters. Try and meet up with dad ASAP."

"You're not going to stay and help? With the clean up?" Aegis asked.

I opened my mouth to reply, but couldn't.

"They won't open the shelters for a bit. You have time." Tattletale said.

I smiled behind my mask.

"Alright, let's go see who can use our help." I said, standing up and taking off.


	21. Chapter 21

Interlude - PRT Base

An automatic door slid open, and Armsmaster stepped in. He looked remarkably good for someone who had an arm ripped off by Leviathan a few hours prior.

"You didn't need to be here for this. Someone could have briefed you later." Director Piggot said.

"No need. I'm more than capable of being here in person."

"Boss...how? You shouldn't be able to..." Assault was cut off by Armsmaster.

"My suit administers powerful pain relievers specially suited to keep me alert and pain free. I'll be able to continue working until Panacea can heal me."

"You really should rest, sir." Miss Militia said. "Injuries like yours..."

"I won't be engaging in combat until I'm healed, now enough. I'm here for a briefing, not judgement for my actions."

Silence fell over the room. Piggot was the one to break it.

"Very well, do you need an overview of what we've been over thus far?"

"Dragon was keeping me up to speed while I traveled."

"Excellent. Did she patch in the recordings?"

A curt nod was the only response the head of the Protectorate ENE gave.

Another silence. This time broken by Battery.

"Hard to believe, you know? I mean...you told us about the possibility, but it's confirmed now."

"It was all but confirmed before." Armsmaster said.

"But still, someone with a power like that..." Miss Militia said. "Another Glaistig Uaine."

"It's unlikely that her power will be an exact match." Legend said. "We all know that powers rarely mimic each other perfectly. There's likely some difference. Potentially a greater weakness."

"Hold on a second." Assault said. "You're all talking like we're going to target her, make her top priority. She's willing to play ball with us, right? Why would we want to turn someone like that against us?"

"There's far too much risk in allowing an individual with the sort of potential that Elysium presents to act unchecked." Armsmaster said.

"But we all heard the recording. She tried to save Aegis. Called in, tried to get a healer..."

"And then claimed him." Piggot said.

"When he was going to die anyway." Assault said, quieter than before.

"According to her." Dauntless responded. "We don't have any guarantee that he was in as bad shape as she claimed."

"We have Thinkers analyzing the situation now." Miss Militia said. "Preliminary analysis does lead them to believe that he likely was dying from his sustained injuries, but it will be some time before they can know any more."

"What's more..." Armsmaster said, barely acknowledging Miss Militia's statement. "Regardless of her motivation, she used her power in an Endbringer situation to her benefit. Claimed a new power that will last, for as far as we can tell, indefinitely. We can't allow a precedent to be set that let's people think that is acceptable."

"That's very true." Alexandria said, stepping into the room through an open window, phone in hand.

"Is everything alright?" Legend asked. The heroine nodded.

"Eidolon was looking for you, Legend. Said he could use your help with a few things, and wanted to talk over a bit of what we learned here today. He was in the hospital, helping with the healing."

Legend looked to the others, then nodded. "I'll go see him then. You don't mind lending them our collective thoughts on this matter, do you?"

She smiled. "Of course not."

Legend lifted off of the ground, and floated out the same window Alexandria had just come in through.

"Did you have something you wanted to add, Alexandria?" Piggot asked.

"I did. The Faerie Queen was a terror. Everyone in this room is fully aware of that. And your newest Cape to the city does parallel her in a number of ways. Two major differences exist, however, that completely change the way that this would need to be approached. Firstly, and this is a detriment if she is to be engaged, is that she seems to manifest any power she claims herself, unlike Glaistig Uaine who possesses projections which make use of powers for her."

"We also don't know her limits. At least a couple of powers at once, but she could easily have all of them at the same time." Dauntless said.

"I don't think so. I've looked over what recordings Dragon was able to get of Elysium fighting Leviathan. After the incident with Aegis, whenever she utilized Hookwolf's power, she dropped from the sky, losing her ability to fly, presumably. She has a limit. The exact number is unknown, but..."

"It does exist." Armsmaster said, nodding. "And the other difference?"

"Level of sanity. Glaistig Uaine is considered by many to be a prime example of powers influencing a Cape. Her talk of Faeries and her complete lack of morals are testament to the fact. Elysium, for her part, seems mostly lucid. No talk of Faeries and she expressed sympathy and sadness over Aegis' death. Combine that with the fact that she seems to have been targeting villains when she was claiming powers, and it seems she wasn't as strongly affected."

"But she still was, you think?" Assault asked.

"Well, she has killed a fair number of people. It would be absurd to think that she may not be impacted by her power to a degree."

"And how would you recommend we approach this?" Piggot asked.

"I'm not sure, honestly." Alexandria said. "We don't know her exact methods. Whether she kills and then claims powers, or if she has the same Striker type of ability as Glaistig Uaine. Because of that, we can't know the full suite of powers she possesses. Add to that the uncertainty of what she would do under active pursuit from the Protectorate and PRT, and..."

"Are you suggesting that we do nothing?" Armsmaster asked.

"I'm suggesting that this is a delicate matter. Elysium may be harder to put down than Glaistig Uaine based on the way her power works alone. If you send Capes after her, she'll get stronger with each successful fight. Send PRT agents, and it's unlikely that they'll have any real impact."

Piggot was about to say something when the large screen at the far end of the room lit up. She pressed a button on her desk, and the image of a woman appeared on the screen.

"Ahh, Chief Director Costa-Brown. How lovely to see you." Piggot said.

"Director Piggot. Apologies for not responding sooner." the woman said, looking down at some papers on her desk. "I've been reviewing the documentation that you forwarded me on the Elysium case between updates from various other Agencies."

"Not a problem. Do you have any thoughts?"

"I do. I'll approve Elysium as a Trump 8, with a note that she may be upgraded once more information on her power comes to light. I'll also approve tentative 5's in each other category."

Piggot nodded. "And your thoughts on how to proceed?"

The Chief Director folded her hands in front of her face, looking into the camera. "Allow me to preface this with a statement that I do understand the precarious position that you find yourselves in. No one would want to find themselves in the position that you all are in now."

A pause, raising the tension in the room. "That said, I believe more planning is necessary before any action can be taken. I am incredibly hesitant to throw lives away as we did against Glaistig Uaine."

"With all due respect, Chief Director, the longer we wait the more powerful Elysium could grow..." Armsmaster said.

"With all due respect, Armsmaster, I am aware of the risks. There are too many variable that cannot be accounted for. Combine that with the fact that she is docile toward the Protectorate and PRT, and even willing to cooperate, and I think that waiting until a proper plan can be formed is the best course of action. And I would advise all of you not to do anything to earn the ire of an individual who could pick up where the Faerie Queen left off."

Lethe looked around the room, taking in the reactions of all of the heroes. It was an odd mix of nervousness and relief for most of them. Only one stood out. Alexandria herself maintained the same confident, slight smirk she had sense entering.

Wonder what that's about. Lethe thought to herself.

The conversation continued for a few more moments, a bit more back and forth, but nothing that would really be relevant to her and Taylor. She was glad she had decided to stick around and see if any juicy info turned up. She wouldn't have been much help during the actual fight, and now she could share this with Taylor, giving her a chance to prep.

Shrugging, she finally decided to head for the exit. No one noticed the door to the conference room opening and closing. Nor did any of the officers or Capes she passed in the halls on her way outside.

As she stepped out of the building, she looked up at the sky. It was amazing how quickly the rain stopped once Leviathan was gone. Of course, the streets were still flooded, and likely would be for some time, but...hey, glass half full.

She looked around at the damage. Broken buildings, overturned cars, cracked streets...

However many bodies had already been cleaned up.

Lethe decided to make her way toward the shelter that they had left Taylor's dad at. It sucked wading through the water, though. Might have to talk Tay into putting Squealers power to work. Get myself a boat or a hovercraft or something.

The walk was uneventful. She picked up some interesting tidbits. The ABB's lack of showing at the fight, the notable casualties like Aegis and some members of New Wave. Apparently there was some dissent among the Empire Capes, someone did something without the go ahead. That tidbit came straight from a skin head. Certainly didn't take long for them to come back out after a horrific event.

Might be worth asking Taylor about. Maybe she caught some of the Nazi shit show.

She finally reached the shelter. People were hanging out in front of it, chatting awkwardly. It took a few minutes to find Mr. Hebert and an out of costume Taylor. He was hugging her, asking her where she went after the shelter shut.

She wondered, idly, if her own parents would wonder where she was. If she dropped her power, how long would it take for them to try and contact her.

She might get a call or a text from her dad.

Her mom, though...?

She was shaken from her thoughts as she watched the pair begin to move. No reason to dwell on those thoughts.

She followed behind them. No one noticed the splashes she made as she trudged along.


	22. Chapter 22

Part 18:

I groaned as I walked down the stairs into my living room. I wasn't sore, really. Alabaster's power kept me from any sort of strain like that. I was drained, however. The fight with Leviathan had put a lot on me. Mentally, emotionally...physically, too. I was just far more suited to dealing with that than the former two.

I walked into the kitchen and saw my dad, sitting at the table. I smiled at the normalcy of it.

"Morning. Sleep well?"

I nodded as I sat down. "Yeah, like a rock. Must have been tired."

I could see concern flash across my father's face. "Well, maybe you should hang in today. Take some time for yourself. I'm sure the clinics can go one day without your help..."

I lowered my gaze, looking at the table. Tattletale's power filled in the missing words in his statement. He was worried. Worried I'd be attacked, or get hurt in any number of other ways.

"I'm sure they could, but it...wouldn't feel right, sitting around while everyone else is out there, doing there part."

He sighed. It was an exaggerated action, and I could see the hint of a smile on his face. "Who raised you to be such an upstanding citizen?"

"Well, it's part being upstanding, part not wanting to hear it from Aisha."

That elicited a laugh from my father as he stood up and walked over to the stove. "I'm surprised you didn't hear anything already. She was up and out as I was waking up. Sure she didn't leave a note?" he asked, lifting a plate with some bacon, eggs, and pancakes on it and bringing it over, placing it in front of me.

I grinned. "Thanks. And I can check for a note, but it's not her style. She'd probably just sit on it until the right time and launch into an argument about it."

"Well, in any case, if I can't talk you out of going, I want both of you back before night falls, okay? The gangs have been getting more active, from what I've been hearing."

I stopped mid-chew, nodding. He was right. Gang activity had been slow to resume after the attack, with a few days of respite. Now, though? They were basically at the same level they had been before.

It was turning into a problem. Most heroes were too busy trying to help the common folks out of their shitty situation to give the villains their full attention. Aisha and I had been doing what we could, but...it was a tough battle.

"Alright, well, I need to head out. If one positive can be spun from this situation, it's that there's plenty of jobs to go around. For now."

"Have a good day." I said.

"You too."

It took him a few minutes to gather his things, lunch, keys, and whatnot. Finally, I heard the door open and close, and the telltale sign of his truck starting and pulling away.

With that, I began eating as fast as I could. Part of that was hunger, part was not wanting to waste time.

"Cute stuff, Hebert." Sophia said. I could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Shut it, Sophia." I barked out between mouthfuls of food. "Don't make me regret having you out."

"You mean there are times that you don't regret it?" Tattletale asked. "Your ability to deal with her bullshit is amazing."

"Fuck off, loser." Sophia said.

"Aww, still mad cause I get more time in action than you? Don't worry, your power still has it's uses. Like...hmm...shoving stuff into a box without actually opening it?"

"I said fuck off! I'll..."

"Knock it off, both of you. Starting my morning with you two arguing isn't ideal." I then turned to my third companion. "And you're being awfully quiet, Squealer."

"Got some ideas. Trying to remember since I can't write them down. So rare I get to do my thing these days."

"You're not exactly a battle ready cape. We've been a bit...confrontational lately. It happens. Mush hasn't seen much action, either."

"Or Skidmark..." Squealer added as I stood up, grabbing my plate and heading to the sink.

"Yeah, or him..." I said, rinsing my plate off. I still didn't like having him out. I figured it said something about a persons character when I would rather be around white supremacists than them. "In any case, hold on to those ideas, we'll be heading out soon."

I rushed upstairs and to my closet, pulling the box that contained my costume and started getting changed.

"Would you shut up about your stupid boyfriend?" Sophia asked, sounding exasperated. "No one cares about him but you."

"Fuck you, bitch." Squealer said. "If we were both still alive, I would make something to tear you apart."

I could hear Tattletale laughing, and shook my head as I pulled my top on. "Stop, both of you. Sophia, if you keep causing trouble, I'm sending you away. I can use Aegis to get around."

"It would be easier, too. Flying over buildings instead of going through or around them. It would probably only take a few minutes to get out there, as opposed to your power which would take..."

Sophia let out a growl, but remained quiet.

In all honesty, I preferred to use Sophia's power for getting around. Flight was awesome, but it drew attention. Sophia's power let me get around faster than walking, but still with a bit of stealth.

Still, I'd fly if I needed to.

I finished pulling on my costume, and went over to my window. I phased into the shadow state and headed out.

We were fortunate that our neighborhood hadn't been affected too badly by the attack.

The rest of the city...wasn't so lucky. More than a few of the larger buildings downtown had been completely brought down. And then there was the crater...lake...whatever one wanted to call it, it was a nasty scar in the middle of the city.

As I made my way downtown, I saw people picking up trash, making what repairs they could, helping each other clean out wounds.

It was...sad and reassuring, in it's own way. People were coming together, but the tragedy was weighing on them. People were just moving forward, acting because they didn't know what else to do.

I moved quickly, using back streets and abandoned buildings when possible. All in all, it took me about 20 minutes to cross the city. I phased into the junkyard that I had spent the last few mornings in.

I had decided that having a fortified way to get around might be a good idea. I might be incredibly resilient, but Aisha wasn't.

And, when I saw the old RV that had clearly seen far better days, I had gotten the idea. I had switched to Squealer on a whim, and been hit with about twenty ideas all at once.

And that began my now morning ritual of stopping by and harvesting parts to try and get this thing into a shape resembling what my vision for it was.

It was slower going than I would have liked. Finding workable parts in a junkyard was, unsurprisingly, kind of difficult. But, the RV ran now, and I had managed to reinforce it a bit, adding some armor...or something passing as armor.

"If you can get some rafts, we could work something into it that can allow it to float. Maybe advance from there, add a submarine mode..."

I nodded. We seemed to get our inspirations at the same time, and the same ideas. Though, I was also considering a helicopter add on to allow it to fly. It would be tougher to get the parts, but...

I swapped Sophia out for Aegis, and began searching for any vehicles that had usable parts. After an hour, I had a fairly usable pile. I cracked my knuckles, about ready to work, when my phone went off.

I pulled it out of the pouch I kept it in and looked at it. A text was displayed.

"E88 dwntwn. Hrtng ppl. U in?

-L"

This wasn't surprising. The Empire had been pushing limits over the last couple of days. I knew some of them were after me. Othala, primarily. Kaiser...wasn't thrilled about me, but had yet to make an actual move. Instead, he seemed intent to use this time to reinforce his gang's hold on their territory. And even expand, a bit.

I looked from my screen to the gathered parts. "Looks like this is going to have to wait until tomorrow." I said, tossing them all into the RV and locking it. I dismissed Squealer, pulling Alabaster out.

I lifted into the air, already sending a response to Aisha.

"Send me a location and I'll get there ASAP."


	23. Chapter 23

Part 19 (Version 2.0)

I landed on the roof of a building a few streets over from where Lethe told me the Empire Capes were and switched to Sophia, using her power to move a bit more stealthily. I could hear the commotion that was being caused.

When I reached one of the perimeter buildings, I looked over the edge and groaned at what I saw. Othala, Night, Fog, Rune, Crusader and Cricket. 6 Capes, out in full force. I could see the targets of their ire. A group of people, mostly middle eastern, were standing in the street. One of them was wearing a costume...

Parian, a rogue in the city. The one that Tattletale had recommended me to for my costume. I could see the remnants of some of her creations, her cloth golems. I had seen them briefly during the fight with Leviathan. They were tough, pretty durable...

The fact that they were ripped apart was fairly telling.

"So...how you gonna hit them?" Sophia asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Not sure. Maybe I can scare them off. I mean, I took down Hookwolf."

"Yeah, and that worked during Leviathan?" Sophia shot back.

"They won't run." Alabaster said. "If they see you, they'll crush you. Easy as that."

"I don't know...she could win if she approaches this the right way." Tattletale said.

I shook my head, looking down at the scene. This location...it was far from the Protectorate HQ. Far enough that, given the state of the city, I doubted a patrol would make it out this far. Lethe and I had been sticking to areas like this, places where the major heroes couldn't reach.

I would have liked to be able to plan, to talk with Lethe and strategize. Unfortunately, based on the way the Empire Capes were acting, I didn't have time to dawdle.

Those people needed help, and the Empire needed someone to stand up to them.

I could do both.

Phasing into the shadow state again, I dropped down into the alley between the building that I was on and the one next to it, right within hearing range. Parian was speaking.

"...ust leave us alone, we aren't doing anything to you."

"You're occupying space in our territory." Crusader said.

"This...this isn't your territory." Parian said. "It never has been, we wouldn't have..."

"It's ours now." Rune said. "Better us than the Asians or the Merchants, right? Well...not for you, I guess."

"In any case, we're clearing all of you out." Crusader said, cutting the young girl off.

"No! We're not leaving. You can't do this, we're just trying to get by. So many homes were ruined and..."

"It does not matter." Fog said. "Kaiser has ordered that you all be removed. We will do so."

I could see the hesitation in Parian. Her constructs began to inflate again, only to be struck by some of Crusader's phantoms.

I looked down at my phone, sighing. You better still be around here, Lethe...

I stepped out of the alley and approached. The people in Parian's group reacted to the sight of me, which tipped off the Empire Capes. They all turned and looked at me.

"Parian, take all of those people somewhere safe." I said, my eyes darting to each of my opponents. I could see her nod, and start to lead the people away.

"Ahh, the murderer." Crusader said. "What brings you here?"

"Are you that thick?" I asked, flinching slightly at the name he had chosen for me. "I would think it was pretty clear why I was here."

"Another killing spree? Or perhaps you gave that up, and just want to help out these minorities?"

I let a low groan out, and shook my head slightly. "Just walk away. Leave these people alone, and we won't have a problem."

"Oh, now you're willing to show mercy?" Othala asked, taking a few steps forward. She was right between Cricket and Crusader. It was pretty obvious what she was planning. "Where was that when you killed Victor, Alabaster, and Hookwolf?"

"Slightly different circumstances." I said. "These people aren't mass murderers like Hookwolf, they're not skill leeches like Vic..."

"Save it. I don't care. We have our orders, right? We can't let her stop us, so let's do this." Othala said. She touched both Cricket and Crusader, and then backed away.

I was left having to decide who she'd used her power on. Both were acting confident, weren't really giving anything away.

I barely had time to switch my active ghosts, casting Sophia's power away, before Cricket was rushing at me.

I unfolded using Hookwolf's power, Generating a massive blade. She still moved forward, but there was the hint of fear. Luckily, I noticed it in time to change my plan of attack. I turned the blade, striking her with the flat of it. She groaned as my hit landed, proving me right. She hadn't been gifted invulnerability.

I pushed all of my strength into the attack, and managed to send her flying. I turned toward where the others were, only to be met with a series of fireballs. They struck me, and I felt them burning me. Hookwolf's power made me more resistant, so I managed to keep from screaming, but just barely. I could still feel while in my human form. Even then, Alabaster's power kicked in, and the flames were gone seconds after they hit me. I rushed at the group, formulating a plan.

Othala was the biggest hurdle. She would be able to keep empowering her allies. Plus...she hated my guts. I would need to take her out if I wanted any chance of winning this. It wouldn't be easy, of course. She was currently flanked by Night and Fog, who were definitely the two strongest combatants here. Then there was Rune and Crusader, who could each control the field, and...

Yeah, this wouldn't be easy. Not if I wanted to keep any more blood from getting on my hands.

Plus, I needed to make sure that all of the civilians stayed safe. A quick glance showed that they were still moving away, but slower than I would have liked. There were a number of elderly and kids in the group.

That just made what the Empire was doing even worse.

Regardless, I needed to keep their attention on me. If I could do that, while twisting things to my advantage, all the better. I would just need to see what their expectations were, and use them against them.

I ran for Othala, my arms folding out into masses of blades. As I expected, four of Crusader's phantoms appeared to block me. Extending more blades from my body, I impaled them, causing them to fade from existence. I smiled behind my mask. It felt good to really flex my power.

Unfortunately, my little victory was short lived. I felt something massive strike me and push me back, away from the group. I was tossed into the side of a building, and could feel it shudder as I struck it. I pushed against what his me, and realized it was a car. As my bladed body restored itself, I sliced the car in two, just in time to see Rune tag another car while levitating a dumpster and a few boxes.

"Good girl." Hookwolf said. "Always told her to go all out. She bitched a lot. Was hesitant to throw her weight around. Seems you were able to bring the warrior out of her."

"So glad I could help..." I mumbled, hoping the sarcasm wouldn't be lost. I couldn't pay him my full attention. I needed to weigh my options.

Letting loose with Hookwolf's power would give me me great offense and defense, but made me a massive target. And, as Rune had just proven, I could still be pushed around. I could swap, lose the power for more speed, hope that I could outrun her attacks, but then I'd also lose the defense that I gained with this power, and might not be able to take them down.

Rune made a slight motion, and the dumpster was thrown my way. Almost on instinct, I swapped Hookwolf out for Sophia and phased through the dumpster. I stayed in the shadow state as more was tossed my way. It wasn't until the car started floating that I phased back and swapped Sophia for Hookwolf again, unfolding into a feline form. I refused to adopt the wolf body that he had used. The car stopped before it his me and turned, beginning to move toward Parian's group.

I dug my blade-claws into the ground and started moving. I had always known that Hookwolf was dangerous. Strong and nearly unkillable, at the very least. It hadn't been until I started researching him, after I gained his power, that I realized how fast he could be.

I caught up with the car easily and jumped on it, slicing it to pieces. After a moment, it all fell to the ground. I turned my head to look at Parian's group, and saw them moving much faster away from the area. Apparently having a car thrown at them and a giant blade cat anywhere near them was enough motivation.

And apparently Nazis weren't. People were strange.

Once the whole group was out of sight, I turned back to the Empire Capes. I instantly realized something was wrong. There were only four in their group. Crusader, Othala, Rune, and Fog. Cricket was still where I had tossed her...

And the four left standing had their eyes closed.

"Shit..." I mumbled. I could hear the strange footsteps, and then felt as a mass of claws struck my bladed body. I turned as quickly as I could, but apparently Night was faster. She kept to my back, striking without pause.

I shifted my form, falling into a whirling blob of blades. Still, she struck at me. Any minute damage she managed against me was eliminated by Alabaster's power, and anything I did to her seemed to heal almost instantly. We were at something of a stalemate.

And then the fireballs started hitting me. I groaned. This wasn't getting me anywhere.

As much as I hated to, I cast aside Tattletale and brought Aegis back out. My blade body lifted off the ground, blasting into the I shifted back into my human form, casting Hookwolf aside to bring Tattletale back out. Being without the insight that her power provided me was...difficult to deal with at this point.

"This isn't going well for you, is it?" Alabaster asked.

"Technically, it's not going well for you either. If I die, you go with me."

"I'm already dead. Don't really have much to lose."

I groaned, looking down toward the Empire Capes.

"You need help. You should call in the Protectorate." Aegis said.

I shook my head. "They won't come. Not if I call them." I said.

"It's their job. It's what they're there for."

"Can you really tell me that you think they'll rush out to help me?" I asked him. "You were there when Lethe told me what she overheard..."

He was silent. That was answer enough.

"Aegis is right, though. You need to do something. Either get some help, or take the kid gloves off." Tattletale said.

"You mean kill them?"

She shrugged. "You don't have to go that far, but holding back as much as you are? It's just gonna end up with you or someone else hurt. And by that, I mean innocent people. The Nazis probably deserve a little pain."

"I heard that." Alabaster said.

"You were meant to." Tattletale responded, smiling.

"I can't go all out. I can't just..." I stopped, seeing movement. Night, who had rejoined the group after I had taken off, was on the move again. She was heading right for the path that Parian had led all of those people to. I could tell there was something in her hand...

A flashbang. I could feel my blood run cold as the full gravity of the situation set in.

She was going to kill them. There was no doubt. Every hint of body language was practically screaming it.

Tattletale was looking down too. "It's a trap..." she said. "They know your watching, know you'll make this assumption."

"But I can't...she's really going to..."

"She's a psycho." Tattletale said. "Even Alabaster would agree. Hell, I bet if we asked, Victor and Hookwolf would back it up too."

"She is." Alabaster said. "Gesellschaft doesn't seem to make anything but."

"Are you two saying that she shouldn't help them?" Aegis asked.

"No, but...it's so obviously a trap."

"I can't let her do this..." I said.

Tattletale sighed. "I know, but..." she said. "Please be careful. You still owe me some vengeance, right? Lung and Coil?"

I looked to Aegis, who was confused. I hadn't mentioned the deals I had stricken with Grue and Tattletale. Mainly because I could assume what he would ask me for, and I didn't think I could face the Wards or his family any time soon.

Maybe not ever...

I shook my head and flew at top speed down to where Night was walking. I would stop her...

She was just rounding the corner when I landed behind her.

"Hey!" I yelled. She turned, and without missing a beat tossed the flashbang. I closed my eyes, weiging the few seconds of blindness versus the full effect of the grenade. Even still, closing my eyes couldn't protect me from the shock of the concussive effect of the blast. I stumbled back as it went off, only to feel a series of strikes across my body. I could feel Night cutting into me, dealing as much damage as she could before Alabaster's power reset me, and she started again. I tried to open my eyes, but she kept starting there, ensuring that she could keep up the assault.

I was about to cast Tattletale away again to bring Hookwolf back out when she suddenly stopped. Once I reset, I opened my eyes and saw Night, in her human form, backing away. A slight smirk on her face.

My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. I didn't even need to turn around to witness what was happening. I could feel Fog, in his gaseous form, rolling over me, entering my body as I took a startled breath.

Instantly, I began to choke. I could feel my lungs, my veins...everything being torn apart as he entered my bloodstream. I fell to the ground, trying to regain my breath. Aegis' power began to kick in, helping to compensate for the damage I was taking. I could feel my skin gain the ability to absorb oxygen directly, my muscles starting to move blood...

And then it was gone. Alabaster's power reset me. I was once again limited to breathing with my lungs, and they were still being torn.

I could have cast away Alabaster, kept my alterations. But...I had proven that Aegis wasn't invincible, and I wasn't sure it would help long term. If Fog could follow my blood, he could hit me anywhere that it moved. That sort of adaptation wouldn't protect me for long.

Even still, I couldn't cast away Aegis. His power was all that was giving me any respite at all. Alabaster was still needed as well. If I wanted to go on the attack, I would need to cast off Tattletale.

But would that even work? Hookwolf's power condensed my flesh into a...core, of sorts. If Fog was already in me, then would transforming force him out?

No...I didn't think so. That meant even Hookwolf's power couldn't save me.

And then, there was my own power. I couldn't quite feel a connection to Fog the same way that I could other Parahumans. Not now, anyway. It was likely something to do with the state he was in. Even still, I believed that I could push it, force a connection and rip his power away...

But what would happen to him, and by extension me? Would he stay in his gaseous form? Would he just work his way out of my bloodstream given time?

Or would he instantly revert back? I somehow doubted that even with Aegis and Alabaster, that I could survive a grown man reforming inside of my bloodstream.

Alabaster's power kicked in again, and I took a quick gasp of air. Maybe if I swapped to Sophia I could...

My thoughts were interrupted as blades shot up all around me. I I looked at them and could see a spark of electricity jump from the blade.

I turned my head as much as I could, still wheezing and gasping, and saw two figures.

One was a man in a black outfit with red and yellow details in the shape of lightning bolts. I didn't recognize him, but the fact that he was touching a blade that was connected by a series of other blades to my makeshift cage led me to believe that I had him to thank for the electrical component of my imprisonment.

The other figure was unmistakable.

"So, we finally meet...Elysium."

I wanted to reply, to bark out some quip, but I could still barely breathe.

I shot the head of the Empire a glare as he approached. To his credit, he took my look in stride, actually chuckling at it.

I cast quick glances to the other Empire Capes, and noted their mutes surprise. So...they didn't know he was in the area?

"Enough, Fog. I would like to be able to speak with the young lady."

I could feel the assault on my insides cease, and then Fog poured out of my nose and mouth. I took a few desperate gasps of air as Alabaster's power reset me again.

"Now, don't bother trying to escape. Blitz is sending enough current through those blades that even Hookwolf wouldn't be able to escape."

He was right. The electricity would follow along the blades and straight to my core. It might not kill me. But, it would definitely put me down for a bit.

I looked back at Kaiser. "Fair enough. But why talk to me? I figured you'd just want to kill me for what I did."

I could see Othala nodding. Fuck you, too.

"Please, there's no reason that we can't hold polite conversation, even given the...less than preferred way that you introduced yourself to my organization." Kaiser said. I was stricken by just how confident he seemed.

"I don't really think that we have anything to talk about."

"Oh, but we do. You did, after all, claim three of our Capes. Took them from their rightful place. I would like to see them returned to the Empire."

"I can't give powers back. And even if I could, that was weeks ago, they've been buried and..." I stopped, realizing what he actually meant. "Wait...are you actually trying to recruit me?"

"What?! Kaiser, sir...please tell me that you're not..." Othala shriveled under a glare from Kaiser. Some dissent among the ranks? Something I may be able to use...

"That is precisely what I'm proposing. I know you're acting independently, attempting to clean up the city. Though, your tactics have been a touch misguided. We can offer you camaraderie, support, and safety from those who would seek to shut you down, lock you away for being who you are."

He was good, I had to give him that. He must have analyzed my situation, honed in on the concerns and fears that anyone in my place would have.

"And you get a nice little boost to your ranks, right? Not only do you get Hookwolf, Alabaster, and Victor's power back, but any other powers I have or get in the future."

"That is a benefit, of course." Kaiser said. "I, clearly, wouldn't be offering if it didn't benefit all involved. We get a new Cape on board, you get a full team to back you up. Hookwolf, as you likely know, was Birdcage bound. We kept him from suffering that fate."

He was definitely good at this. He had the kind of cool confidence and way of presenting that one could only get from a natural ability and years of practice. I could definitely see why the Empire had such a large base of Capes.

But still, to come after me? Someone who had never shown any sort of belief in their 'cause'?

I looked around at the others. Othala was seething, Night and Fog were...barely reacting, really. I got the impression that they really only cared about killing. Crusader, Rune, and Cricket...who had gotten up at some point while I was dealing with Fog, looked a bit more uncertain. I was taking them all in, trying to glean any information I could.

"You don't even know what I am, really. Wouldn't make a very good Nazi if I were Jewish, right?"

Rune reacted the most heavily. Othala and Crusader reacted slightly less. Hell, that even got a reaction from Night and Fog. Cricket barely showed anything. I couldn't be sure if that was from when I tossed her or not.

Kaiser, though...I learned a lot from his reaction.

"Are you?"

"No..." I said, smiling behind my mask. "But, I get the feeling now that it wouldn't be as much of a problem as I thought it would have been, even if I were."

Confusion radiated off of the others, while Kaiser became slightly agitated.

"I wonder..." I began. "How your subordinates here would react if I told them about your level of dedication to your cause..."

"Shut your mouth, Heeb." Othala said. I flinched for a moment, before realizing that she meant Hebrew, and not my last name. "Kaiser is the most dedicated to our cause out of anyone."

"Is he, though? I mean, if you think about it for a second, I'm sure..." I stopped as a blade shot out of one of the ones closest to me, stopping a couple of inches from my throat. No electricity was on it. That was reserved for the outermost layer of my Faraday Cage prison.

"Enough. I will not allow you to slander me in front of my people. Now, you have a simple choice girl. Join us or die. I'm sure even you can recognize the obvious answer."

I clenched my jaw as he spoke. He was trying to prove his superiority over me, trying to grate at me. Unfortunately, it was working. I knew it was a consequence of using Tattletale's power, but I couldn't bare to have anyone insinuate that I was stupid. I was weighing my options when I felt my phone buzz in my pouch. The buzzes were sent in a particular pattern. A code that we had worked out. I smiled again behind my mask.

"You're right..." I said. "I guess there's only one real choice..."

Kaiser relaxed slightly, believing victory was in his grasp.

"Now!" I yelled, swapping out my ghosts. I cast out Tattletale and Aegis for Grue and Sophia. The swap was joined by the sound of the new Cape, Blitz, gurgling. He fell to the ground, holding his throat. I frowned at that. Note to self...tell Aisha to exercise some restraint.

"Did she just kill him?" Grue asked, looking at me as I began calling up his darkness.

"Yeah, probably." I said. "We'll talk about it later, just know they were trying to kill me or force me to join them."

With the electricity gone, I phased through the blades. I had put off using Sophia and Grue's powers together, assuming that their claims of bad interactions would hold true even when I was using them. I was very happy to be wrong on that account.

Once outside of the cage, I looked around, taking all of my opponents in. Kaiser was backing away from the smoke alongside Rune, Crusader, and Cricket. Othala was just barely inside the darkness, while Night and Fog were between me and her. I could see Fog turning into his gaseous form. Night, meanwhile, couldn't change. My eyes were firmly glued to her. It must have been quite the switch, going from perfect predator in the darkness to perfect prey.

As I approached her in my shadow state, I was already rationalizing the decision I had made. She was a murderer. Her and Fog had hit me the hardest of anyone here today. And she had been willing to slaughter all of those innocent people to get back at me.

I shifted back to normal within touching distance of her, reached out, and seized her power.

I swapped Sophia out immediately, and felt the transformation take hold. My body was composed mostly of claws, and...I couldn't really make sense of it, even while being it. I had joints that seemed capable of bending in either direction, no clear sensory organs, though I could still see, hear...everything.

But more importantly, I felt incredibly strong. I lifted up Night's body, her ghost just watching, seemingly too shocked to speak at the moment, just in time for Fog to pass by. I didn't want to tip him off just yet.

I glanced over toward the others. The ones who were outside of my darkness were just...waiting. They didn't want to leave without their allies. They were ready, though. Rune was looking for something to tag, and Crusader had already summoned his four phantoms.

I spied Othala, feeling around the darkness, trying to find her way out.

She was, again, easy to justify. She had broken the Endbringer truce, attacked me in the open.

I moved to her side with unreal speed. Feeling as I did now, it was clear why Night was so regarded as a threat.

I struck out with one of my many limbs, claiming Othala. I let her power go into...storage, I supposed. I hadn't really thought up a name for it.

She collapsed to the ground. That was two...and the only one remaining in my darkness was one who fell under both of my justifications. He had been ripping me apart from the inside mere moments ago, and had gone along with Othala's plan to attack me during the Leviathan fight.

I rushed over to Fog, and placed a couple of my limbs into his form. I could feel the weaker connection, and pushed my power. I finally gained a connection, and pulled.

I watched as the gas pulled itself back into a human form, prone on the ground.

Really glad I didn't do that while he was attacking me.

I placed Night on the ground, turned around, and moved to leave the darkness. I felt my body revert to normal as I stepped out. I also made sure to swap Night for Hookwolf. She wouldn't provide me with any benefit at the moment.

As soon as I stepped out, Crusader's phantoms grabbed the remaining members of the Empire and lifted them into the air. I noted some more dumpsters and other large items following them. Rune had been busy...

I cast Grue aside and brought Aegis out, lifting myself into the air. They took off once I did that, Rune tossing a few things at me as they did. They moved quickly to the other side of a building and then down. They would be traveling by alleyway, trying to evade me.

I sighed, dodging the thrown items, and landed.

"Why aren't you chasing them?" I jumped at the voice, and turned to see Lethe leaning against one of the buildings.

I shook my head. "They had plenty to throw at me, and probably would have kept picking up more." I paused, swapping Hookwolf for Tattletale. I gave it a second thought. "Definitely would have kept picking up more. I think this is a standard getaway tactic for them."

Lethe nodded slightly, then looked to the slowly dispersing darkness.

"And...them?"

I looked down. "I...didn't have much of a choice."

It was a lie. I could have taken them down non lethally. Used Aegis or even Hookwolf, if I was careful. I had made a decision to claim them, to make my own point like Kaiser had when he had me captured.

"Well, that's cool. New powers for you."

"Yeah..." I said. "This isn't gonna help how the Protectorate sees me."

"I don't think much is. They should stay off your back, though. I mean, Night and Fog?"

"It is pretty impressive." Tattletale said. "I'm almost sad I missed the show."

Aegis was quiet. I could tell he didn't approve.

"So...what now?"

I looked at Lethe. "Now...I don't think we have much choice. We need to finish the Empire off." I said. "This isn't the sort of thing Kaiser's going to take lying down. Twice now, I've taken Capes from him. Severely weakened his group. Hookwolf, Night, and Fog were some of their heaviest hitters. And without Othala, injuries are going to hit them harder..."

"So...we need to go on the offensive?"

"Ideally, we can force them to leave, but...one way or another, we can't all stay in the city."

I could practically hear the smile on her lips. "So, how do we start?"

"We need to know more about them, where they go, how exactly all of them operate..."

"Ooh, intel stuff, eh? I'm on it. No one better." Lethe said.

I sighed. "Just...be careful."

"Of course. No one will even know I'm there." she said, running off.

I groaned, and then suddenly couldn't remember why.

Shrugging, I flew up and a few streets over. I set down on a building there. I didn't want to be seen near the scene of my latest...harvest, but I needed a minute to compose myself.

Three more powers, three more lives that I had claimed. Two...probably deserved it. They were definitely sociopaths. Othala, though? She had only been angry with me because I had taken someone from her. Someone that she loved.

I couldn't fault her for that...not too much, anyway.

And now I had made the decision to tear down the rest of the empire, essentially waging a two person war on one of the oldest gangs in the city.

"I must be completely out of my mind." I said to myself.

"Yeah...I'd say you probably are..."

I jumped as I heard the voice, and looked around. Standing a few feet from me, in the shade of a chimney, was a woman...no, a girl. I put her at somewhere around my age, maybe a bit older.

She was wearing a black cloak and face mask, a black leotard, and black boots that went up to her knees. I wondered for a moment if she was another Empire cape, but that was quickly ruled out. Tattletale's power informed me that she was likely mixed heritage, something that would never fly in the Empire. Even with what I learned about Kaiser and his own personal beliefs.

"Who...who are you?" I asked.

She lifted her head slightly, letting me see her eyes fully. Her irises were completely black, making it look like she had huge pupils. I also noticed that she seemed to be crying recently.

"You...I've seen you around and read about you. Elysium. A new hero..." the girl said. "But I watched your whole fight... I know what you did."

Something about the girls voice was striking me as familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

"They...they were trying to kill me, I had to..."

"You take powers. That's what people are saying, on PHO and stuff...you claim them from people, and kill them."

I groaned about that. I had seen a few threads about me, and that had been brought up. Sometimes by supposed PRT members. I had tried to argue against it, but...not too many people believed me.

"And I saw you use her power. You killed her."

That caught my attention. "What?"

"You killed Sophia..." the girl said, standing up. She was about the same height that I was.

"And I'm going to make you pay for it."


	24. Chapter 24

Part 20:

My eyes narrowed as the girl approached me. I backed up, trying to peace this situation together. She had said I killed Sophia.

Not Shadow Stalker.

That implied an intimate connection. Someone from her personal life that knew about her powers. From what I had been able to gather from my discussions with Sophia, that had been limited to her mom, the Wards, and Emma. This girl was too young to be her mom, definitely wasn't a Ward...

And definitely wasn't Emma. There were certain aspects of her that bared a slight resemblance, mostly her mannerisms. But her looks and the way she was acting...I could tell she intended to fight. Emma never resorted to physical abuse. She preferred to rely on her words to hurt others.

I used my power, my sight, and saw the silver glow that surrounded her. She had a connection to Cauldron, then. Could that mean something. Was this my clue to contact them?

No, that couldn't be it, could it. It didn't make sense... They wouldn't send someone to attack me to set off explaining things to me.

I returned my focus to the girl. I needed to figure her out.

"Now...just listen." I said carefully. "There's no need to do something we'll both regret. We can talk about this."

I could see something on her face. Something about my words was causing her to react. No...not my words, my voice.

Shit...does she know me?

She shook her head. "I don't want to listen to you. You killed her, and you're going to pay!"

She rushed me, but it was clumsy. I ruled enhanced reflexes out. I used Aegis' power to fly off of the building, moving to another. An alley and about 20 feet of height now separated us. I could read the aggravation practically pouring off of her.

"You make friends everywhere you go, huh?" Aegis asked.

I found myself smiling sadly. "Seems like." I said. "Hazard of the job, maybe?"

"Could be. I don't know, though. I've been...had been, at this hero thing for a while. Don't think I had a nemesis to speak of."

I winced slightly at his words, and just nodded slowly. "Well, maybe I'm just unlucky."

I moved over to the edge of the building, keeping the girl in my line of sight. All she was doing was backing up, returning to where I had first seen her.

I took a quick moment to glance back down to my previous battle zone. The darkness that I had generated was fading. Some had, fortunately rolled over Blitz's body, even though he hadn't been in the actual area of effect that I had created. As of now, all of the bodies were hidden. That wouldn't last long...

I wanted to be long gone by the time anyone could really see what had happened.

"So...I know you're likely to switch me in and out, if this fight gets going." Aegis said.

I nodded, turning my attention to him.

"I just wanted to say, I'd like to talk about some things later."

I could read it in his body language. This was about what he had overheard from Tattletale. Her mention of favors. I turned to her, and she shrugged awkwardly. She could tell too.

"Yeah...sure." I said. "We can talk as soon as this is over.

He nodded, seeming to accept my response. He was hesitant to, though. I could tell he had something he really wanted me to do.

I looked back over to the other roof and gasped. The girl was gone.

Can't have flight, she would have just followed me. I thought.

"Where did she...?"

I felt the fist connect with me. Honestly, the surprise was worse than the pain. I wasn't sure if Aegis' power was dampening the pain I felt, or if she was just that weak.

Rule out super strength.

Either way, the pain was completely gone seconds later, and I stood straight, looking at the girl, then behind her. Right to the long stretch of shadow that was being cast thank to an air conditioning unit.

"Ooh, sneaky..." Tattletale said.

"So...a teleporter, huh?" I asked, looking the girl in her eyes. My estimate earlier had been correct. She was a couple of inches shorter than me. Her boots had heels that propped her up to my height. "You're able to step into a shadow and step out of another one within your range. Which is...pretty considerable. At least 5 blocks? Hmm, 7 or 8 maybe?"

The girl looked taken aback. "Wha...stop it. Shut up!"

"Ooh, hoping it was gonna give you the element of surprise? Maybe it could have if you were going against someone else, but I'm pretty good at figuring stuff out."

She was silent for a moment. Her response made me wish she had stayed quiet. "Another stolen power?"

It wasn't the words that hit me, it was the way they were said. Her voice was filled with the same condescension, smugness, and disdain I heard from Emma, Sophia, Madison, and the rest of their cronies whenever they targeted me. The same "I'm better than you" tone.

I wanted to believe that I was above letting such things get to me.

I wasn't.

"Who are you...?" I asked, stepping forward. I cast Aegis aside for Hookwolf as I approached the now retreating girl. I allowed my right arm to unfold into a series of blades and held them out, closer to her. She flinched, but after the initial reaction seemed more confident.

"Enhanced durability, I think." Tattletale said. "Not sure to what level, but..."

"You're new..." I said. "You only got your powers recently. Sometime around when Leviathan attacked...no, the day Leviathan attacked."

"Stop...how are you doing this?" the girl asked.

"There's not a hell of a lot you can hide from me." I said. I moved as quickly as I could, slashing with the blades. The girl flinched, but the blades bounced harmlessly off of her body. I also noticed her clothing, where the blades had hit, turning into wisps of darkness before reforming.

Her clothes are made with her power...some sort of control over darkness?

"Pretty damn durable. Not even a scratch." Tattletale said. "Interesting suite of powers this girl has."

"Figured that wouldn't hurt you." I said to her. She glared at me. "Not sure you're as tough as, say...Hookwolf, and I seriously doubt that you could hold a candle to someone like Alexandria, but you're still resilient. Doesn't come with any strength enhancements, though. Your punch earlier was weak enough to prove that."

I could tell that the girl was scowling at me behind her mask. It didn't matter, though. She was immune to external damage. I still had options, combinations of powers that could probably do something. Sophia and Hookwolf to phase my blades into her. That...was going further than I was comfortable with. I didn't want to just kill her, so I would need to attack her this way.

Mentally and emotionally...those were my best options.

Of course, it would be easier if I knew who I was really dealing with.

The fact that she was so damn familiar was still nagging at me. Was she one of Emma's cavalcade? Had she barely entered my notice while I was focused on my main tormentors?

No...no, that wasn't it. There was something else. And I had someone with me who might be able to answer what.

I cast Hookwolf out, replacing him with Sophia.

"Do you recognize her?" I asked, hopefully low enough that the strange girl couldn't hear it.

Sophia took a moment to glance at the girl. "Nope, doesn't look like any Cape I've seen before."

"What about friends? She's familiar to me, but I can't place her. It's..."

"Can't really see her with the costume, Hebert." Sophia said. "How would I know?"

"She know you." I said. "Think on it."

Sophia looked at the girl more intently than before.

I focused on her as well.

She let out a low growl and charged at me. It was clumsy. This time, I opted not to dodge. I had picked up enough fighting skills from gang members that I had busted, thanks to Victor, to let me deal with this.

As she swung at me, I grabbed her arm and pulled, while also extending a leg. She was durable, but she wasn't immune to physics. She tripped, falling straight onto her face. She was fine, of course, but felt embarrassed. Ashamed.

Weak.

That was important. I could feel it. Shit, I'm so close...

"You monster..." she said, her voice so quiet I could barely hear her. Even her voice was familiar, but not familiar. Something was throwing me off. Was it her power? Did she have some way to distort her voice?

No...that wasn't it. Close, though. It was something related to her power.

How she got it? Maybe she was like the monstrous capes, but on a smaller scale? Minor changes that made her less recognizable, but still familiar.

Something clicked there. I was on to something. But, if that were true, given the extent of mutations that others seemed to have, she could be anyone.

"Um, hey..." Alabaster said, shaking me from my thoughts. "Might wanna pay attention."

I looked down, feeling something wrapped around my ankle. I saw an inky black tendril had planted itself firmly. I followed it back to it's source, seeing the girl had returned to a standing position and...unfolded...

I used the word when using Hookwolf's power, because it just felt...right. But she literally unfolded. The portions of her body that identified her as human had opened up, revealing a twisting mass of darkness.

Definitely some sort of mutation.

But even that wasn't sitting right, just now.

I shook my head, couldn't be distracted. That was what had let her unveil this new weapon and trap me.

Could I break the tendril? No...the same level of durability that she possessed extended to it. It might even be worse, the tendrils could possess the same regeneration that her clothes seemed to.

I could see three more tendrils extending from the mass inside of her, then shoot forward with incredible speed. Each one seized one of my remaining free limbs. Once she had them all, she began to pull. And then I realized the full scope of this power.

She could capture me. Pull me inside of her body and keep me there until she saw fit to let me out. I could be trapped for minutes, hours...days.

There was a moment of panic as that realization struck. It was like the locker.

Like the day I got my powers.

I could almost imagine Sophia taunting me while I was trapped, just as she had multiple times that day, trying to make my situation worse.

She continued to drag me toward her, and I pushed the panic down. I needed to escape...

And I could. Easily. Sophia was one option.

Fog was better, though. I needed to go one the offensive if I wanted to get out of this situation.

I was three feet from her when I shifted into a gaseous form, slipping from the grip of her tendrils. I heard her swear and pull them back, then seal herself back up.

I rushed her as soon as she did. I entered through her nose and mouth, intent on trying to rip her apart.

I knew it probably wouldn't work, due to her durability, but there was the chance that her organs were still vulnerable. What I found, though, was even stranger.

It wasn't going to work because she wasn't breathing.

I allowed myself to pour out of her, then reformed when I had put about 10 feet between us. With my body back to normal, I could once again feel the effects of my near panic attack.

I took a moment to compose myself. "New question...what are you? You don't breathe?"

She was caught off guard by that, as though she didn't realize I had tried to target her lungs. Had she even felt me do it?

"What? I...I do..." she said.

"She's lying? Really?" Tattletale asked. "Trying to hide some aspect of her power, even after we caught it...but it's not just that she doesn't need to breathe."

I could feel a slight pressure building in my head. I was using Tattletale's power too much. I needed to hurry this along.

"What is going on?" Fog asked. "Why am I...?"

"Later, you poor, dumb Nazi." Tattletale said. "The adults are trying to figure something out, here."

Fog responded in German. I could guess by the tone that it was not kind.

I cast him aside, brought Sophia back out. She was the connection. I needed to get to the bottom of this quickly.

The girl seemed to have recovered from my earlier question, and was rushing me again. I tripped her like before. Apparently, she was a slow learner.

"Well, you already know you can't hurt her physically." Tattletale said. "And, I think we both picked up on something not too long ago."

I couldn't help it, really. I smiled behind my mask. Tattletale had done this before, I could tell. Hell, I had even done it. Once, to full effect, on Emma and Madison, and I had started to with Kaiser.

I looked down at the girl. "So sorry your upset, but you might as well walk away. You're too weak to beat me."

I could see the shift in her body language. Tension filled her. She was angry.

"Ooh, that strike a nerve?" I asked, circling her slightly. "I know, I know. You thought being a Cape would be great. It would elevate you to the upper echelons of society. So you went out, found someone with the know how, and bought powers."

That one caught her more off guard than my earlier statements. It made sense. Cauldron had probably sworn her to secrecy. I hadn't even gotten powers from them, and they had done that to me.

"Well, I have some news for you. Buying powers isn't going to make you strong. It might make you powerful, but you're still whoever you were before. And what I'm seeing here? It tells me you were, and are, weak."

She was shaking now. It was caused by equal parts rage and anxiety.

"No..." she said, standing up again. "You're wrong. I am strong. Sophia knew it..."

I could see Sophia react. She was confused.

"She saved me because I was strong...because I fought." the girl said. Sophia gasped, and Tattletale muttered something.

I stayed silent. I was receiving the same information that she was, but I...couldn't quite process it.

"I...I proved I was strong that night, and I will do it again! I'll take you down, avenge Sophia, and then I'll teach her to learn her place."

She was unfolding again, a mass of tendrils extending from her body.

I could feel my blood running cold. My mind returned to when all of this started, when I had grilled Sophia for information and learned what had happened to Emma.

"What the hell?" Sophia asked. She was confused, somehow. The story...it only matched one person, and the image before us was not her. Sophia hadn't learned what I had about Cauldron.

"Shit..." Tattletale said. She was piecing things together as fast as I was. She knew how deep this went.

Alabaster and I stayed quiet, though for much different reasons. He didn't grasp what was happening.

I was too furious to find words.

The tendrils grabbed me, and started dragging me toward her. I stayed still, too focused on the girl in front of me. I was picking up on the smaller details that I had dismissed earlier due to her appearance. The way she moved...hell, even slight details still matched her.

Her eyes were the biggest giveaway. They were still hers. No change at all.

I found my ability to speak at about three feet away, after seeing those eyes. I actually spoke at one and a half.

"Emma..."

She stopped. The tendrils loosened slightly.

"Wh-what?"

I was glaring now. I could feel my anger rising, still. The absurdity of this situation, that Emma would get powers and one of...no, her first fucking act would be to attack me? The odds were incredibly low, but...they had happened, and now I got to see this, realize who she was, and...

And I was having trouble accepting the truth.

"Emma fucking Barnes."

I shifted into the shadow state and fell through her grasp. I didn't need to, apparently. She recalled her tendrils and sealed herself again. The look of shock on her face was the purest I had ever seen. I also noted, now, the similarities. Her facial features, at least what I could see, was actually a mix of Emma's, Sophia's...and even mine.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, backing away slightly.

"You have powers...Cauldron gave you, of all people, powers?" I asked, still approaching her.

"You...shouldn't know about that..."

I was so angry that my vision was blurring. The girl...Emma, jumped slightly as she bumped into a wall behind her. The sun was behind us, minimizing the shadows on the ground. No easy escape for her.

I continued approaching silently. I didn't know what else to even say. I knew that I could get angry, I had inherited my anger from my father, but...I had never been pushed this far. Even the locker hadn't gotten this much rage out of me. Emma had powers, she had gotten them just to...one up me? To prove she was better than me? She was trying to fill the roles of Sophia and herself, and make me more miserable.

I wasn't going to take it.

Emma raised her fist and swung at me. I grabbed her arm and held it, staring into her eyes. I could see the fear. She knew what I could do.

"Taylor..." Tattletale said. "Listen, I want you to think about this."

"What, what's going on?" Sophia asked.

"Skin contact...think about that." Tattletale said quickly. "You don't need to do this."

I didn't listen. I focused on my power, reached for the connection.

But...I couldn't claim her. I could feel a slight connection to her power, but it was...off.

I couldn't claim her...for some reason.

I let go and backed away. She sank to the ground, staring up at me. The face she made...it was like that day at the school, after I had used Tattletale's power on her.

I didn't dwell on it. She deserved it.

I looked at her with my Sight again, and saw something that I had missed the first time. It reminded me a bit of Scion. A thread, of sorts, running from her to another part of town.

I cast Sophia away and brought Aegis back out. I took into the air. Emma was still sitting on the ground, eyeing me in confusion.

I could see the building that the line led to. Three blocks away.

I took another glance down at Emma and took off.

My eyes stayed locked on her for as long as they could. I wanted to see her reactions.

Confusion was prevalent until almost the last second that I could see her, when it was replaced by understanding.

And fear.

I took off at full speed for the building. She could probably get there first.

I landed, swapped Aegis for Fog, and transformed. I made my way into the building.

I could hear noise from the basement, feel the vibrations even through my gaseous body.

I moved down the stairs. At the bottom was a door. I assumed it was locked.

It didn't matter.

Once inside, I turned back to normal. My eyes met the terrified visage of the Cape that I had identified as Emma. But, that was only half right. It was her power. Projection. A non breathing, nigh indestructible projection that could capture people inside of itself.

And the real Emma? She was right next to the projection, sitting in an old rocking chair that had been left in the basement. Unconscious, a necessity for using her power.

And, I was right. She had been altered by her power. Drastically, too.

Her once pristine skin was now a sickly grey, her hair a much paler, more washed out red. Her whole body seemed to have lost mass, leaving her looking emaciated. I also noted that her head appeared to have grown larger, while her body had shrunk. She appeared to have shrunk to about four feet tall.

Not the worst mutation, but...a fittingly ironic one. She had lost her beauty, which she had prized so much, to gain a power to lord over me.

And that had failed. I had escaped her every attempt, and I now held all of the cards.

I cast aside Alabaster for Hookwolf. Nothing she could do would be able to put me down with his power. And I would need Fog to escape if she tried to capture me.

"You fucked up, Emma..." I said, taking a stope toward her bodies. "Step away from your real body."

"Taylor..." Tattletale said.

"No..." she said. "I...you can't do this!"

"Step. Away." I repeated, my arms shifting into blades. "Unless you want me to show you what Hookwolf's power is capable of."

She looked hesitant. It made sense, really. She was more vulnerable here than anywhere else.

Finally, she relented. Seemed to acknowledge the precarious position she was in. She knew she couldn't capture me. Couldn't stop me.

I approached her sleeping form, taking it all in. "Kind of ironic. Maybe this is karma." I said. I couldn't keep the bitterness and anger from my voice.

"Karma?" she asked. She was confused, but still angry.

"One of your favorite go to insults, right?" I said, pulling the hood of my costume back and looking her projection in the eyes. "'No boy will ever want you.'" I added, doing my best impression of her.

It took a moment. Maybe due to stress, maybe the absurdity of the situation. But, my exposed hair helped drive the point home.

"Taylor?"

I nodded, then looked back to her sleeping body. "How did you get into contact with them? With Cauldron." I asked. I was still seething, but I needed answers.

The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that this was what Alexandria had been foreshadowing. She had known about this, to a degree.

"I..."

"Don't. Lie. To. Me." I said. I needed to pause between words to keep my voice level. I could tell just by reading her body language that she had been ready to feed me some story.

She looked down, some of her hair falling into her eyes. I noted that it looked a lot more like my hair than it did hers or Sophia's. Maybe it, and the height, were something she had envied. Or maybe they were just defining features her mind had drawn from to construct the projection.

"I...started looking into how to get powers after you talked back to me at school. I...figured that you somehow, subconsciously, picked up on Sophia being a Cape, and that was why you never fought back. I thought..."

It was almost enough to make me laugh. "So you thought just making yourself a Cape would put me back in my place? Put you back at the top?"

"Taylor, please listen to me." Tattletale said. "You need to stay calm."

"I love the irony of this situation, you know?" I asked, ignoring Tattletale and still looking at Emma's altered body. "You made yourself a Cape, which actually made you more vulnerable to me, not less, and it mutated you. I doubt you'd be anywhere near as popular at school now."

I cast a glance back at the projection, and saw the look on her face.

I could see the vulnerability in her eyes. The almost complete lack of hope. I felt my rage rise up again, thinking of how many times she and her cronies had pushed me to have that same look.

How many times she had used secrets and shared experiences to hurt me, to push me further into despair. Taking my mothers flute jumped straight to mind. A tactic devised purely to hurt me, to take any semblance of hope from me.

Now, the tables were turned. I could end her in an instant. Add her to my collection of Capes, nothing but a power to be used at my discretion. All it would take was a touch...

And she would never be a problem to me again. Would never be a problem to anyone.

"Taylor, think about this." Tattletale said.

"I think you should let her do it." Alabaster said. "I mean, I can't really tell what she looked like before, but if she's running around looking like a mixed blood, then..."

"Hey, fuck you!" Sophia said. "Fuck your racist shit and telling her to take Emma. You really gonna kill everyone who gave you a hard time, Hebert?"

I glanced at Sophia. I had allowed guilt over what I had done to quell my rage toward her, but right now...every action she had taken against me was at the forefront of my mind. In a lot of ways, she was more responsible for this than I was. If not for her, Emma wouldn't have turned on me. Neither of us may have ended up where we were now.

I caught a movement from Emma. It was slight, like she thought of something she could get away with and then hesitated to act on it. My attention turned back to her and she shrunk back.

"Taylor...listen." Tattletale said. Her voice was calming. She was reading me, trying to use her power to get close to an end she desired. It was hard for her, though. I could read her just as easily.

We stalemated each other, in that way.

"This is a point of no return. You need to understand that. This isn't an accident, it's not a mercy killing, and it's not going after someone who really deserves it. This is...revenge. Pure and simple, petty revenge."

I let out a low growl, and Tattletale raised her hands defensively. "Just look at her, Taylor."

I turned toward the projection, read her body language. Fear, shame, regret, sorrow...

I could see just how bad off she really was. How close she was to...

Shit...

My shoulders slumped slightly. Emma wouldn't notice. Tattletale did.

"Finally coming around, huh?" Tattletale asked. "You're getting a little too quick to use that touch of yours. That's a quick way to get a kill order, you know?"

I took a breath, about to respond to her, then stopped. Not because Emma would hear, I couldn't care less about that.

I stopped because I realized that she was right. When I had learned who Emma was, my first reaction was to claim her. A bad idea, partly because I would then have her stuck in my head forever, but also...

It would have been causeless, in the grand scheme of things. All of my other ghosts had reasons behind me taking them. There were the villains who deserved some justice, people who made the city worse.

Sophia had been equal parts self defense and an accident. Tattletale and Grue had been dying. Aegis was an attempt at redemption...

One which I hadn't even tried to deliver on yet.

But Emma...I had let my emotions, and maybe my power, rule me. I had almost killed her just because I could.

That thought made me feel sick. That was, I imagined, how more than a few Capes ended up as mass murderers. Killing people they felt had wronged them first.

And I'm trying to be a hero?

I sighed. "Does your family know? About this?"

"No..." she said. She sounded almost mechanical. "I...told them I was safe. With friends. They left the city when Leviathan attacked."

I nodded, circling the chair. There was so much that I could say, so much I could do. The next words I spoke came with little thought. Almost automatic.

"Was it worth it, Emma?"

She didn't speak. I could read it all in her body language. Confusion, not knowing whether I meant her deal with Cauldron, or everything. And then a lot of thought. I let her have it.

It took about ten minutes for the projection to shake her head. It had only taken 2 for tears to start spilling from her real body's eyes.

We sat in silence for another few minutes. Me to completely calm down. Or, well...as calm as I could get. Her...to not set me off.

But, finally, she couldn't take the silence any more. "What...what are you going to do? To me...?"

I looked at her projection, then at her sleeping form, then back to the projection.

"You...have tormented me for the last two years." I said. "Made my life a living hell. And then, I finally stand up to you, and you run out and by powers to try and put me in my place? Both in and out of costume."

She was shaking. Both real and fake bodies.

"Plus...you know who I am."

The projection shifted, slightly. She was ready to act if I pulled anything.

It wouldn't matter.

I reached down and patted the real Emma's hand, then looked the projection in the eyes.

"You know how my power works, yeah?"

She didn't speak. It took her about thirty seconds to nod.

I could still feel all of my rage. Two years worth was ready to explode out. I hadn't eliminated it, just buried it.

"Well, I want to explain anyway." I said. "All I need to do is touch a Parahuman, and I can take their powers. The process kills them." I left out that, until this very moment, I was unsure if I could take all Parahumans. I had never made contact with one of the silver ones. Fortunately, a bluff wasn't necessary here.

For the second time in recent memory, I could see something other than malice in Emma's eyes. Before, at school, it had been confusion and pain. Now, it was fear.

"Emma, you can't beat me. It's impossible now, and it will only get harder." I said. "I...have certain people that I intend to take down, and when I do, I'll likely end up with their powers."

I looked down at her real body. "You're fucked up. Maybe beyond repair..."

I reached down, seized her true bodies wrist and hefted it up.

The projection began to unfold, but stopped before she got too far. She knew it wouldn't work.

"And...part of that is my fault." I conceded. I hated to, my anger still so strong. "If I hadn't pushed you at the school, then you wouldn't have gone this far. I...should have been better than that."

She sealed herself up, looking at me in confusion.

"So...that's why I'm making you my responsibility." My voice was low, but it was so quiet in the basement that I could be heard anyway. "You're going to work with me and my partner, Lethe. You're going to stay where I can watch you, and you're going to remember this." I said, moving her real bodies arm around.

"I...could have killed you. Ended this all. But I didn't."

She was confused and scared, but she managed to nod.

I let go of her wrist and let it drop down onto the old wooden armrest. I couldn't bring myself to be gentle with her, and it wouldn't break her.

I walked over to the door and opened it.

"Wh..."

I turned and looked at her, still glaring.

"Where are you going?"

"To send a message. I'll be right back. Don't get any ideas."

I knew she wouldn't. She was too scared of me and what I could do.

I left the room, slamming the door closed behind me. As I walked up the stairs, I pulled out the pager that Alexandria had given me.

I hit send as I stepped off the final step, and I was greeted by the sight of a break in the building leading to a pristine white facility. A woman in a lab coat stood on the other side of the divide, with a woman in a suit and a hat behind her.

"Elysium." the lab coat woman said.

"Cauldron..."

"Please, step inside. We have much to discuss."


	25. Chapter 25

Part 21:

I stepped over the divide and into the strange hallway. The two women stood to the side to allow me passage. I used my sight on them, taking them in.

The woman in the lab coat didn't have a glow at all. She wasn't a cape? The implication I got, from her and Tattletale's power, was that she was in a position of power here. Someone high up in an organization that gave people powers didn't indulge in their own wares?

What did that mean?

I glanced to the other woman, and found myself equally perplexed. Her aura was unlike any I had seen so far. It was mostly black, with traces of the silver that other Cauldron Capes had. Where did the black coloring come from? A third source? And if that was the case, why did she have bits of silver in hers?

"If you would, we've prepared a conference room." The woman in the lab coat said. "We imagine that you're quite busy, and would prefer to not waste time."

I nodded slowly, even as Tattletale's power kicked off again. Something about the way she said that...she knew about what I was doing, my war on the Empire.

The women led me further into their complex. It was...bare. There wasn't much for me to go off of here. Not that I wasn't getting plenty from them.

"Many who meet me call me the Doctor. Or Mother. Whichever you choose." the woman in the lab coat said.

"Alright then, Doctor." I said. "And she is...?"

The woman glanced to her companion in the suit, who nodded slightly. "This is Contessa, my...bodyguard."

I nodded again, taking in the interaction. It was strange. Not the way I expected someone to act to their bodyguard.

"I think there's something up here." Tattletale said. "That woman's not just a bodyguard. I'm sure of it."

"This is creepy." Alabaster said. "This place...it gives me the chills."

Fog was quiet. That was good. I liked the quiet ones. I could appreciate them.

The women stopped in front of a door, and Contessa pushed it open and motioned for me to go inside. I stepped in, and found some other people waiting for us.

Alexandria and Eidolon were easy to spot. Alexandria nodded slightly as I entered, and Eidolon...didn't react at all.

Along with them was a man I didn't recognize. He looked less like a Cape and more like an accountant. He had short blonde hair, thin rimmed glasses, and a button-up shirt. Something about the way he moved was...off. He was so certain with each slight movement. Nothing was wasted.

He was also the only golden aura in the room. That was interesting as well.

"I believe you know Alexandria and Eidolon." The Doctor said. "This is The Number Man."

I glanced toward the blonde with a bit of surprise. "You're The Number Man?"

He nodded slightly. "I am. It's a pleasure to meet you. I trust you've been putting the Undersider's funds to good use?"

"Um, yeah." I said. "I didn't expect you to work for Cauldron."

He smiled slightly. "It makes sense, when you have all of the information."

I waited for him to go into more detail. Apparently, he had no intention of doing so, however. After a few moments, the Doctor spoke again.

"Would you like to have a seat so that we may begin?"

I looked at the Doctor. "Not going to introduce me to the other Cape in the room?"

She seemed slightly taken back by that. To her credit, she recovered quickly.

"There's another Cape here?" Tattletale asked.

"Apparently, their invisibility doesn't block my sight." I said, hoping it sounded like I was continuing rather than answering Tattletale.

"Yes, well...I assure you she intends no harm. The Custodian watches over the facility as a whole."

"Okay, noted. Her being here is a bit distracting, though. She...doesn't seem to have a real body? I can see her all over the room."

The Doctor looked to Contessa again, and they seemed to communicate somehow.

"Custodian, I assure you your presence is not necessary for this meeting. Please, see to some other matters."

The massive aura left the room, to my relief. The Doctor and Contessa walked over to the table and sat down. There was only one seat left. I walked over to take it. "Will Legend not be joining us?"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment. The Doctor was the one who answered. "No, Legend will not be joining us."

I was able to piece something together fully for the first time since coming here. "He...doesn't know about this." I said. "You're...afraid of his morality, worried he'll give you away..."

"Tattletale's power, yes?" The Doctor asked. "We learned it was powerful. It seems that it may be more powerful than even we believed."

I narrowed my eyes. "You...know about what powers I have?"

"We have been keeping an ear to the ground in regard to you." Alexandria said. "It wouldn't do to be unprepared in the face of such an...interesting Parahuman."

"Now, if we may proceed to the matter that brought you here." The Doctor said.

I felt my anger resurface. "Right...you gave Emma power." I said.

"Ahh, yes. Ms. Barnes." The Doctor said. "We were...concerned about what would occur when the two of you met."

"You knew...you knew she knew me. That she tortured me."

"We do investigate all of our prospective clients." The Doctor said. "Ms. Barnes has had a...sordid past. However, when we took all factors into account, providing her with a formula made the most sense."

"What? What other factors?"

"A question, first. Your sight, which allows you to see Parahumans. How does it manifest."

That caught me off guard. "What?"

"Alexandria reported that you were able to see Parahumans, and that you could tell that some individual's powers originated from Scion. We have our theories, but..."

I wasn't sure how to proceed. How much information should I really give them...

"I think you should tell them." Tattletale said. "I think...that they might already know, right? You can probably tell too. I think this is a test. They're trying to see if you'll play ball."

I took a breath. When I really thought about it, put her power to use...she was right.

"I can see auras. Gold for Scion, silver for your Capes. It's how I know that you, Doctor, are not a Cape. That the Number Man is the only non Cauldron Cape here. And that Contessa..."

I picked up on slight reactions from all of them at that. Shit, did I just spill something they didn't know?

"Go on." The Doctor said.

I sighed. "Her Aura is...different. Mostly black, with some silver mixed in."

They all seemed to weigh that. I wanted to push on it, but just watching them was probably giving me more than asking would have.

"We had speculated..." The Doctor said.

"Yes, but confirmation..."

I was shocked to actually hear Contessa speak. She had been completely silent thus far.

"In any case, that is something we can focus on later." The Doctor said. "Back to the point at hand."

"Emma?" I asked.

"We will get back to her, I assure you. The explanation will make more sense if you have the full story."

I sat back in the chair and nodded.

"Scion, as the world knows him, is responsible for many of the Parahumans active today. He came to this planet..."

"Scion is an alien?" I asked. "How do you...?"

"If I may continue." The Doctor said. "All will be explained, to the best of my ability."

I nodded, giving her my full attention. Tattletale was silent, even as her power was going crazy.

"Scion came to this world to grant powers and rule over it, sowing the seeds of war as he did. He and his counterpart."

I raised an eyebrow, but didn't speak. I didn't really need to.

"Yes, there was another. They had planned, so far as we can understand, to make Parahumans fight, gathering data. And then, when they were finished with their...experiment, I suppose, they planned to wipe humanity out. An accident occurred, however, and Scion's counterpart perished. We were in a position to study it's body, and through that study, we have learned how to grant powers."

"From...it's body?" I asked. Information was flooding in, and I could feel a headache coming on. It was light now, but soon...

"Yes. The creatures, Scion and it's counterpart, shed portions of their body to grant powers. By harvesting from the deceased specimen, we can achieve similar results." The Doctor said.

"Holy shit..."

"Quite." Alexandria said.

"Our Capes have the advantage of avoiding Trigger events and having less limitations on their powers, we find. In general, our stronger Capes are among the strongest in the world." The Doctor continued. "Unfortunately, along with those positive potential outcomes, there are negatives."

"The Case 53's." I said. "Your..."

"Mixtures. Vials of liquid."

"Right. Your mixtures can cause mutations. Make people monsters."

"We've lessened the likelihood of such an outcome." The Doctor said. "It's now far less likely. Of course, an individual's state of mind bares a great deal of weight in regard to the chance of mutation."

My mind drifted back to Emma. This time, it was accompanied with guilt. Had me pushing her helped assure a mutation.

Did I really care? She was the monster who tortured me. She deserved to look as ugly on the outside as she was on the inside.

And that thought made me feel guilty again. I'm gonna need a shrink just to deal with this Emma situation...

I shook my head, trying to work past the pain that was developing. "Go on..."

"Yes. Well, with his counterpart gone, Scion seems to have become...inert. He has defaulted to shows of heroism. However, knowing what we do about Scion and his origins, we have put some thinkers and precogs to work, and they have determined what we feared. A day will come when Scion turns on humanity. As a matter of fact, we have it on good authority that this event will happen anywhere from two to sixteen years from now. The number of casualties will be unfathomable."

I felt my heart sink at that. Scion was the strongest hero in the world. People rated him above the Endbringers. And if he was where powers came from, then...if he turned on us, what could we do?

"In light of these facts, we have been preparing for the day that he turns on humanity. We have been working to amass an army to face him."

"An...army?"

"Yes, volunteers like Ms. Barnes, for one. We also approach those who would otherwise perish, either due to injury or disease, and offer them a mixture. We inform them of all ofthe risks, including mutation and death."

"And that's where the Case 53's come from. They're people you approached who didn't get lucky with their potion."

"More or less." Eidolon said.

"We do all of this in the hope that we will find powerful Capes who can make a difference when the true battle begins. Eidolon, Alexandria, Legend, Hero...these are some of our greatest successes. However, for each of them, there were many failures. Specimens who perished, or who wouldn't cooperate. And even still, the number of truly powerful Capes that we have created is nowhere near the number we would want."

"So you've been looking elsewhere." I said, piecing together what she was saying. "Not just within the Capes you create, but anyone who could be useful." I added, glancing to the Number Man.

"Indeed. I'm sure you've already figured a fair bit of our plan here out."

I nodded. "You want me to work with you." I said. "You had Alexandria keep an eye on me, as much as possible, during the Leviathan attack to...scope me out, see if I was a threat."

"We were all active when Glaistig Uaine was active." Alexandria said. "There were concerns."

"And Emma...she fits into that too. You mentioned her past...and taking all factors into account." I said. My stomach began to clench as I spoke. "You chose her because she knew me...you set up our meeting earlier to see what my reaction would be."

There was a puase, and to my surprise, it was Contessa who spoke.

"We have seen a great many people changed by their Trigger events." she said. Her words were so smooth that it was almost like she practiced them. "We needed to know your state of mind, and that you would be able to maintain your composure in all situations. Not just in the case of you operating with us. We needed to know if we could trust you to keep all of this secret. If Scion learns about us, and what we're doing, it would be disastrous."

I looked at her, trying to figure her out. I was sure she had a thinker power. Tattletale agreed. I just didn't know what...

"You would be an asset, Elysium. And very little would change for you." Alexandria said. "We would simply ask for your assistance with certain individuals. People who we know won't cooperate when the time comes, or those who are too dangerous, yet have a power that could make the difference."

"Why should I trust you, when you were willing to give someone like Emma powers?" I asked.

"Ms. Barnes is far from a monster, Elysium." The Doctor said. "We have seen a great many monsters in our time. That said, I can understand your hesitance. Contessa?"

"I can assure you that Ms. Barnes holds no intention of betraying you. She is thoroughly broken. That said, we can take her off your hands. We have methods to deal with problematic individuals." Contessa said.

I opened my mouth, but no noise fell out. I had a way out. I didn't need to babysit Emma if I didn't want to.

But...

"Did...did you know how close she was to..."

"To suicide? Yes. She did not take her physical changes well. That said, there are steps that can be taken to aid her in moving beyond that." Contessa replied.

"What would you do with her?"

"We have methods to remove an individual's memory. She would be like any other Case 53."

I groaned. That didn't sit well with me. Partly because it might as well have been killing her, and partly because it felt like she would be getting off easy.

"So...she wouldn't even remember all the shit she's done to me?"

"No. Likely, she would feel remorse on some level, but..." The Doctor began.

"No, forget it then." I said. "I'll make sure she makes up for every shitty thing she's done."

"If that is what you wish." The Doctor said. "Now, may we discuss a deal, of sorts?"

I looked around the table. These people were some of the most powerful in the world. Eidolon and Alexandria, obviously, but the other three...

I wasn't 100% sure of their powers, but if they made people like the Triumvirate? They were strong.

And they wanted to treat me like an equal. They saw me as an asset to their group.

I took a deep breath.

"I'm listening."


	26. Chapter 26

Part 22:

"In circumstances such as this, we normally prefer to insert our allies into the Protectorate. The support and materials that they can provide can be invaluable." The Doctor said. "Unfortunately, your notoriety and powers make that incredibly unlikely."

"Right...They would want limitations put on me. But, I don't really need them. I have Lethe helping me. And Emma, now...I guess."

"And we will offer support, as well." The Doctor said. "Where we can. Unfortunately, all of our core members have other matters that they must attend to, so it is unlikely that they'll be able to support you directly. We could, perhaps, supply you with some newly created Parahumans that we create."

I nodded slowly, considering. My earlier fight with the empire helped show me that I wasn't unbeatable. Not yet... If Lethe...Aisha, hadn't been there, I couldn't be sure how easily I would have gotten out of their trap.

But... "I don't know. I don't think it's necessary. If I can count on your support for anything major..."

"Within reason, and should we be able." The Doctor said.

"Right." I said.

"But, we can offer support in a less direct manner." The Doctor said. "The Number Man can ensure that you have all of the funds necessary to operate."

I glanced to the blonde man as he nodded slightly.

"And, through our connections, we can ensure you have any supplies you may need. This should prove useful considering any Tinker abilities you possess or gain in the future."

"Well, right now it's just Squealer, but it would be helpful. I have a few project ideas I've been working on. Materials and parts would make it easier."

The Doctor glanced to Alexandria. "A member of one of the gangs in Brockton Bay. A vehicle Tinker who never quite reached her potential, from what I recall."

The Doctor nodded. "The Number Man will also ensure delivery of any parts you need."

"Additionally..." Alexandria said. "We can leverage our position within the Protectorate to lessen any action against you."

I glanced down to the floor. Even though I was benefiting...the idea of murders being swept under the rug didn't sit well with me.

"We can also gauge any potential threats to you and your allies. Even if we are unable to act directly, a warning could prove useful." The Doctor said.

I noticed a slight shifting from Eidolon as the Doctor spoke. He was glancing at the woman behind the Doctor, Contessa. Was she their informant?

My eyes stayed glued to her and her strange aura. The more I looked, the more I realized that it wasn't black, it had a...shine to it. Jet would be more accurate. I just couldn't be sure why... Was her power from a third source?

I glanced to Alexandria, and could see a slight smile on her face. I had experienced this after the Leviathan fight. She was reading me. She knew I was trying to piece together as much information as I could on everyone here. Especially the more mysterious members...

"That...will definitely be useful." I said. "But...you're going over what you can do for me, while leaving out what you want me to do, exactly."

The Doctor nodded. "Of course. Primarily, we would request that you utilize your power to gather individuals who may prove useful down the line, but who will be unlikely to make it to major conflicts."

"And you'll just...know who to send me after?"

The Doctor nodded. "We will."

"And that's all?"

"We may request your assistance in other matters, though they would be circumstantial. I could supply concrete examples, but they wouldn't be fully indicative of any future matters that we may request of you. I feel it would only complicate matters."

That was curious, but I shrugged. "Fair enough. And if I refused."

"We would likely be able to pursue other avenues to reach a similar end." The Doctor said. "Refusal will not terminate our partnership, of course."

"Okay..." I said. "And...that's it?"

"More or less." The doctor said. "As I said before, it is in our interest to gather as many powerful Parahumans as possible. Once we learned about you, we knew that we needed to take steps to bring you on board."

I leaned back in my chair. "I admit...it does sound good."

"I don't think they're lying." Tattletale said. "But...I think they're still hiding stuff."

I nodded, slightly. I didn't want to reply, even using our code. There was the chance that someone in the room could see through it. But she was right. I didn't get the impression that they were lying, but there was...something being left out. I just wasn't getting any hints on what it could be.

"Should I expect any more surprises from my personal life bleeding into my Cape life?" I asked. "I'd rather not have anyone else I know being grabbed and given powers."

"Of course, any further inquiries from individuals who you know can be run past you prior to any action being taken. A list, provided by you, would assist with this."

"I can do that." I said.

"Then, I suppose we have a deal?" The Doctor asked.

I stood up, looking around at all of the people in the room.

"Are you really considering this?" Alabaster asked.

"They have answers." Tattletale said. "They know more about powers than anyone. And they're willing to cooperate. Supply money and materials. Stuff that Taylor can't get on her own, and can't get, legally, without the Protectorate. I don't think this is something she can pass up. And, she could always leave if she wants to."

Something told me that it wouldn't be that easy to leave, but her points were solid.

"Elysium?" Alexandria asked.

"I...I accept your deal. Provided I can still operate as I see fit, and work with...my team, I suppose, then I'm in."

The Doctor nodded. "Excellent. In that case, if there are no further matters to discuss, we can return you to Brockton Bay."

I looked around the room, and none of the others moved. "No, I have no other questions at the moment."

"Excellent. In that case, we will open access for you to be brought here. In the future, you need only request a door to us to speak."

"Request a door?"

"Yes. Like so. Door to Brockton Bay."

As soon as The Doctor spoke, a portal like the one that had been used to bring me here appeared, and I could see the stairway that I had been in. The stairway that led down to where Emma waited.

"Amazing..." I said. "How...?"

"Another Parahuman of ours. The Doormaker is capable of opening portals to anywhere on Earth."

I nodded. Another incredibly powerful Cape. "But...he's not here. Does hi have some sort of omniscience?"

"Very astute. He works in tandem with another, The Clairvoyant, who enhances perception to an omniscient level." Contessa said. The Doctor seemed a bit surprised at her admission.

"They will be aware of your request, and bring you anywhere you here when you need to talk to us." Alexandria said.

I nodded. "Understood." With that, I walked through the portal and stepped back into Brockton Bay.

"We look forward to this cooperation, Elysium. We believe it will be fruitful for all involved." The Doctor said.

"I hope so..." I responded. With that, the door closed.

I sighed and looked down the stairs to where I left Emma. I wanted nothing more than to just sit and digest what I had just learned and agreed to, but I had to deal with her...

I paused as my phone buzzed. I pulled it out and saw a text from Lethe, sent a few minutes ago. Apparently there was no service at Cauldron's facility.

"Found 88 Capes. Hunting time?"

I groaned. Sometimes that girl is way too good at this Cape thing...

I started down the stairs. "Why does so much have to happen all at once?"

"Bad luck?" Tattletale suggested.

"Karma?" Alabaster said.

I groaned. "No matter. Finish up this Emma situation, and then we're going after the Empire."

"Going for the full set?" Alabaster asked.

I glared at him. "Shut up..."


	27. Chapter 27

Part 23:

"I don't get this..." I said, landing on the roof of a building. I looked over at the building that Lethe had told us to come to. Medhall. "Why would they come here?"

"Are you actually asking me, or just talking to yourself?" Emma asked, emerging from one of the shadows behind me. I rolled my eyes.

"Mostly the latter, but if you have some thoughts, feel free to share."

"Why would I know?" Emma asked, whining. "I've only had my powers for a little while...I don't know anything about how the Capes around here really operate. Shouldn't you and your partner know?"

I groaned at that. She...had a point. We should have tried to get more info on the Empire. Especially knowing how much Othala had it out for me. "Maybe Lethe managed to pick something up. We just need to find her."

"Okay...how?"

That was a good question. Her power made it difficult to coordinate with her sometimes.

"You could try calling her."

"Her power interferes with..." I stopped as I heard Tattletale and Aegis laughing and I realized who had been talking. "Lethe, nice of you to join us."

"You flying around is way easier to spot than you ghosting through stuff." Lethe said. She then glanced toward Emma. "New friend?"

I could hear a bit of worry in her voice. Concern over being replaced?

"She recently got powers and is going to be working with us. I'll explain more later, once this is taken care of. You manage to figure out why they came here?"

"Kaiser told the rest of the Nazi Gang to come here to recover while he went to talk to Purity. Apparently she split, and he's gonna try to bring her back on board for this special mission. Some of the Fourth Reich seemed to doubt he could pull it off, but he seemed confident."

"Any idea where Purity is?" I asked.

"He didn't say, and I figured staying here and making sure the rest didn't take off was the best bet. Plus, he jumped into his car and left before I could climb in."

I nodded. "Right. Either he'll come back here or we can try and get one of the other Empire Capes to spill where Purity is. Who's left..."

"Rune, Crusader, and Cricket, obviously. They said Fenja, Menja, Krieg and Stormtiger were gonna be here too." Lethe said.

"7 Capes here, then..." I said.

"And none of them will talk." Alabaster said. "They all believe in the mission."

"Oh? Really?" Tattletale asked. "Fenja, Menja, and Krieg, sure. They're too loyal to Kaiser. But the other three? I don't know... Especially Rune."

I could see Alabaster tense, and I nodded.

"You got a plan, boss?" Lethe asked.

"Yeah. Lethe, you use your power and stick close to me. Meanwhile, I'll need..." I glanced at Emma, who looked confused. She picked up on what I meant pretty quickly though, and shrugged.

"Tartarus." Tattletale said. "Keep the theme going."

I opened my mouth to respond, but then thought better of it. "Tartarus, I need you to find and capture Rune. You can do that, right?"

Emma hesitated after being called a strange name, but then nodded. "Yeah, I can kind of see through shadows when I'm in them. I just...what does she look like?"

"Young, witchy costume, kinda. I think you'll be able to figure it out." Lethe said.

Capture her, keep her alive. If she doesn't know where Purity is, maybe we can use her as leverage to get one of the others to talk."  
Emma nodded and stepped back into the shadows, sinking into them. I walked over to Lethe.

"Want a lift down?"

Lethe looked over the edge of the building and shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She said, lifting her arms. I looped mine under hers and took to the air. We touched down on the ground a moment later and I released her.

"So, what's the deal with the new chick?"

"Old friend turned enemy. She fucked herself up, and I decided it's too risky to let her go around unsupervised."

"And you took it upon yourself to keep her on a leash. Though, not as tight a leash as you could. I mean, if she's a risk, you could always touch her and..."

I shuddered, remembering how close i had come to doing just that.

"I can't just take everyone. That's a dangerous road to start down."

"Dangerous for everyone else." Lethe said.

"Please...don't try to convince me to do that..." I said. I didn't think I needed the convincing from an outside source.

"Alright, anyway...can we trust her?"

I reflected on it. Contessa assured me that they would make sure she didn't betray us. Well...they specifically said me, but I assumed Lethe was included. "It'll be fine. And if she becomes a problem, I'll take care of it."

Lethe weighed that for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Any tips before I disappear?"

"I...I'm gonna be using Grue's power, I think. Try to stay out of the fog. It could be dangerous."

"Ahh, using Night then? Gotcha. I'll be safe. See ya later."

With that, Lethe was gone. I walked over to the door of Medhall, cast aside Aegis for Sophia, and phased through the door. Once inside, I swapped Sophia and Alabaster for Grue and Night and started spreading darkness.

Once I was covered, I felt the transformation into my Night form. I waited for the darkness to spread, and then looked around. I needed to figure out where they would be...

I saw an arrow suddenly carve itself into the elevator, pointing down. I...smiled? I wasn't quite sure I could in this form, but...whatever. I entered the elevator and, as soon as I was in, the elevator began moving down. It was hard to remember Lethe when her power was active, but Tattletale could help. It was part of the reason I was keeping her active. The other part was that Night's power came with regeneration, so Alabaster wasn't terribly necessary at the moment.

The door opened and I rushed out. The speed that I moved with in this form was amazing.

"You're being careful of Aisha, right?" Grue asked.

"She is, but she can't really talk right now." Tattletale said.

"One of the drawbacks of my form." Night added.

"You're...taking this pretty well." Tattletale said.

"I was trained to expect death to be an eventuality. Keeping my consciousness afterward is unexpected, but not unwelcome."

She was unsettling. I preferred Fog's quietness.

I was able to make an inspection of the basement quickly with Night's speed. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything on my first pass. I took it slower the second time. That was when I noticed the hidden door in one of the walls. The staircase on the other side of the door went down quite a ways, and my darkness started seeping down. I rushed down, always making sure to keep within the darkness.

As I reached the bottom of the flight of stairs, stepping into the secret room, I could hear the Capes panicking through it. Crusader was one of the loudest. I took the scene in. Crusader had his ghosts out, Stormtiger had created claws out of air, Menja, Fenja, and Cricket were holding their weapons at the ready. Krieg seemed almost relaxed.

Rune, I noted, was absent. Looking at them all, I could tell they were on edge before I arrived.

"Well, seems your new acquisition can do something right, at least." Tattletale said.

I didn't notice anything strange out of place. Hopefully that meant that Aisha wasn't down here, and I could operate freely.

I almost laughed at the thought. The Capes in the room with me were some of the strongest in the Bay. Or, at least, Empire 88 was one of the dominant forces of the city.

And I had the power to take them on. No...I had the power to crush them.

Cricket was the only one directly reacting to my presence, but she hadn't moved. I decided to take her out first. I rushed forward, moving easily between the other Capes. She tried to move, attempting to dodge. She wasn't fast enough for me in this form. A quick strike with one of my limbs, backed by the strength of this form, knocked her out.

I turned my attention to Fenja and Menja next. They couldn't grow because of the limited space in the room, but I couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't try it at some point. I rushed around the room, approaching them from behind. Two quick strikes, and they fell unconscious as well.

Crusaders ghosts, moving at random, happened upon Cricket. After that, they started dashing around the room, looking for me. Each one that approached was easily dispatched, but it was still an annoyance. Especially when they began trying to find his allies, presumably to help them escape.

I rushed to him, and struck at him. His phantoms disappeared as he fell. Stormtiger apparently decided to begin trying to take me down as well. He was shooting his air claws all over the room.

"Does he not care if he hits his allies?" Grue asked.

"Do or die..." Tattletale said. "He might be assuming they're already dead."

That hurt to think about. People assumed I couldn't fight without killing?

Well, I can prove them wrong...

I approached Stormtiger easily. He was still attacking wildly, but I had the benefit of sight. I knew I had to take him down, not so much for myself, but for his allies, and Aisha if she decided to come down here. A blow to his stomach brought him to his knees, and a quick blow to his back knocked the air out of him, and knocked him out.

That only left Krieg. I ran to him, struck at his stomach, only to find my attack weakening as it approached him. By the time it struck, it was likely no stronger than a normal punch from me.

Krieg reared back, and struck out to punch me. I saw it coming and stepped away.

"It will do you no good." Krieg said. "Your attacks will not work on me."

I groaned. He was right. He was manipulating kinetic force. Physical attacks wouldn't do me any good.

I sighed, cast away Night and reverted to my normal form. I replaced her with Fog and rushed him in my gaseous form, still under the cover of my darkness. I invaded his lungs, but didn't strike him, didn't do any lasting damage. I just occupied the space that would normally be filled with air.

It took about a minute, but I finally felt him sway and black out. I lwft his lungs quickly, and then made sure he was breathing before moving away from him.

I had done it. I had bested 6 Empire Capes, and done it without even getting touched. I let myself laugh as the full weight of my actions sunk in.

I knew my power was strong. I hesitated to call it good, but it was strong. And others were realizing how strong it was, now. The Protectorate were the first, showing fear. Cauldron had been next, showing respect and a willingness to cooperate. Now the Empire would know, for however long they were around after this.

I made my way up the stairs, still riding my victory. The darkness ended about halfway up, I noted. It had all been sinking into the room. I probably hadn't needed to keep generating it.

Emma, or Tartarus I supposed, stepped out of a shadow and approached me as I stepped into the actual basement of Medhall.

"You have her still, right?"

"Yeah. I think she blacked out from fear."

"She...she can breathe in there, right?"

I could see the look of scorn cross her face, but it was tainted with a bit of uncertainty. "Of course she can. Cauldron tested all of that."

She wasn't lying, but she still seemed nervous. She was uncertain of her powers as much as she was everything else. That could become a liability. We would need to work on that if she was going to be useful.

I opened my mouth to speak again, but stopped when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Lethe walked into view, clapping her hands.

"Very nice work, boss. They are down for the count. Don't worry, I tied 'em up for ya. Don't want them getting away before the PRT gets here. Speaking of, I just placed the call on the way up the stairs. We might wanna interrogate little miss Hitler youth somewhere else. And, we gotta hope she knows something since you knocked all of the others out."

"Yeah, I may have gone a bit overboard. Not like I have many powers that can just subdue, though."

"Well, add it to your next shopping list. Guess it's a good thing you brought tartar sauce in."

Both Emma and I stared at Lethe, our mouths open. Though, you could only see that on Emma.

"Did you really just...Tartarus is part of Hades." I said.

"Oh? Huh, who knew?" Lethe said as she walked by me. "Shall we go?"

I rolled my eyes. I could hear the amusement in her voice.

I turned to Emma. "You can follow through the shadows, right? Can't let the PRT see us. We're not on great terms at the moment."

"Yeah, sure." she said. "Let's just do this quick. Moving with someone trapped like this is weird."

She moved back to the shadows and sank in.

I turned to leave, swapping Grue for Sophia and Fog for Alabaster.

6 down, 2 to go. Purity and Kaiser. Two of the strongest members...

Soon, the Empire would fall. For good.


	28. Chapter 28

Part 24:

"Alright. Let her out." I said, pacing around the room. We had to go a few blocks over to put enough space between us and the PRT. I was fairly sure we were in the clear here. Luckily, there was an abandoned building just far enough away, and still in Emma's range.

Emma nodded and her body unfolded, revealing Rune. The girl fell forward, unconscious. Only Emma's dark tendrils kept her from falling onto the roof.

She was definitely young. About my age, maybe a bit younger. Other than that, it was tough to get a read on her while she was out of it.

I turned toward my ghosts. Tattletale, Aegis, and Alabaster. I focused on the latter. "Anything you want to share?"

"Not really."

"He knows some stuff. Nothing we can't learn from her." Tattletale said.

"I don't like the whole taking hostages thing." Aegis said.

"Necessary, sometimes." Tattletale responded. "And, if it makes you feel better, no deaths this time. I know you've been worried. Every fight ending in death."

Aegis looked uncomfortable at that. He was afraid of offending me. I had known he felt that way, though.

"It's fine. The rest of the Empire is with the PRT now. And as soon as we interrogate Rune and find KAiser and Purity, they'll be gone for good."

"What are you doing?" Emma asked. "Why are you talking to yourself?"

"She's not. She's talking to her ghosts." Lethe said. "You get used to it."

"Ghosts...?"

"We can talk about it later. I think our guest is waking up." I said.

Rune slowly lifted her head, and then looked around. The moment that she realized her situation was clear. She practically radiated fear.

"Hello, Rune." I said, approaching her. "You had a nice, quiet trip I assume."

She didn't speak. Behind the fear was contempt, hatred.

"Doesn't seem like she's being cooperative." Lethe said, brandishing her knife. "Time for plan B?"

I glanced at her, having to bite my tongue to not chastise her. Rune recognized me as the leader of our little group, and she was used to Kaiser's leadership method. Showing weakness would lessen the odds of her going along with what we wanted.

"Not just yet." I said, turning back to Rune. She was more afraid now. "Feeling more talkative yet?"

She hesitated a moment before shaking her head. I silently sighed and approached her. I could see a slight shaking as I did.

"Rune, you know who I am. You know what I can do." I said, raising my hand and putting it near her face. "If you don't talk, I may just have to..."

She gasped, and I could hear Alabaster sigh as Tattletale laughed. "I...what do you want from me?"

"Not much, just looking to tie up a loose end. I want to know where Kaiser and Purity are."

"Wh-what makes you think I know that? I'm low on the totem pole..."

"Well, I wasn't sure until now." I said. "Though, I do think you weren't supposed to know. Maybe you picked it up from somewhere. Someone you're close to in the Empire...family friend? No, family..." Each word I spoke made her flinch a bit.

"It's still a bit weird being on the outside of a conversation like this." Tattletale said. "Still, I'm so proud."

"Fuck you, you think I'm gonna tell you anything after what you did to Othala and the others?"

"Othala then. Cousin? Maybe second cousin?" I asked. "Doesn't really matter. Your best option here is to tell me what I want to know."

"Wh...why is that?"

"Does she really need to spell it out?" Lethe asked.

"Let's see. We could have Tartarus bring you somewhere. Maybe she drops you off outside of town. Or right to the PRT." I said. "Or, we could leave you trapped inside of her. I wonder how long it would take for you to go insane. Or, Lethe could trail you. You'd never even realize she was there. And, knowing her..." I looked back to Lethe, who was inspecting her knife.

"You wouldn't have a fun time. And then there's me. I think you know what I'd do to you."

There was the briefest moment of hesitation before she lowered her head and sighed. I smiled behind my mask.

"Looks like you win." Tattletale said.

"God damn it, Rune." Alabaster mumbled.

"She lives in the Towers. That apartment building downtown." she said. I picked something up from that. Rune lived there, too. Not important.

"Anything else?"

"Her apartment number. 13E. Kaiser was gonna go there to find her."

I nodded. "Good. Alright."

"So, what do we do with her now?" Emma asked. "It's weird holding her like this."

"Right, right." I said. "It is a tough situation. We could gift wrap her and deliver her to the PRT along with the rest of the gang."

She reacted to that. Surprise evident in her body language. "Oh, yeah. That's right, we beat up the rest of the Empire, except for Purity and Kaiser. They'll be in custody by now."

I analyzed her micro-movements before speaking again. "I think it's for the best that Rune dies tonight."

She looked up, eyes wide. Emma and Lethe looked at me in surprise as well.

"Wh...what? But you said..." Rune began. She was starting to panic. A small part of me enjoyed her reaction.

"Calm down, not what I mean." I said. "Rune is dead. You get to live. I can tell you're not completely into the Empire's ideals. Maybe you were pushed to join, maybe you fell in with the wrong crowd because of your family...I don't know. Either way, the Empire is done. The rest are going to jail, or...who knows. You, though? You're young. You can still fix things. So...Rune is done."

I cast aside Aegis, brought out Hookwolf. With one hand, I grabbed her cape and with the other, I formed a blade and cut it off. I held the cape and stepped away from her.

"No more Rune. Straighten yourself up. Get out of the Cape scene, use your powers to help people, but...no more villainy. If you go back to what you're doing now?"

I tossed her cape away and stepped back toward her. I reached up and touched the side of her face, feeling the connection to her power.

"Am I clear?"

Rune, still looking down, nodded.

"Good. Let her go, Tartarus."

Rune was dropped to the floor, where she stayed. I looked to Lethe and nodded.

Lethe approached Rune, removing a needle from one of the pouches on her belt. She jabbed Rune in the arm, injecting the tranquilizer.

It took only a few seconds for her to fall unconscious again.

"She's gonna have trouble sleeping after all of this." Lethe said.

"Well, we don't want her interfering. Even with all of the fear we just instilled in her, there's a chance she'd tip off Kaiser."

"You reall think she'd blow off your warnings?" Lethe asked.

"Maybe. Won't matter soon." I said, turning to Emma. "Can you get to Purity's apartment?"

"I'll need to move myself, but it shouldn't take long."

A quick glance to Lethe showed that she was confused. "Later." I said. "Let's go. No telling how long they'll stay there, and I'd rather get the drop on them than the other way around."

"We just gonna leave her here?" Lethe asked as Emma sank into the shadows.

"Yeah. This is still Empire territory. Anyone who finds her should know her. Unless it's the PRT, in which case she ends up being their problem." I said. "I'm more concerned with taking Kaiser and Purity down, so let's move."

"Alright..." Lethe said. "Meet you there, I guess."

With that, she faded from view.

I cast Hookwolf aside again for Aegis, who took in the scene.

"Just leaving her here?"

"I'm 80% sure we scared her enough that she'll be turning over a new leaf." I said, approaching the window. "And we really don;'t have time to stick around and watch her."

"Fair enough, I guess."

His unspoken words bothered me. At least you left her alive.

I took to the air and flew out of the window.

One more stop, and the Empire would be done.


	29. Chapter 29

Part 25:

I hesitated for a moment as I approached the Towers. I floated at the 11th floor for a moment, peeking into the window that I was closest to, before deciding to just phase in. I was fortunate enough that there was no one present as I entered.

I pulled out my phone and began typing.

"Is now really the best time to try and make plans for the night, Hebert?" Sophia asked.

"Texting Lethe." I said, rolling my eyes. "Don't need the shit right now, Sophia. Kind of on edge."

"Yeah? Taking on a whole team of Capes doesn't phase you, but two does?"

"She kind of has a point." Tattletale said.

"I get it." Aegis said. "Kaiser and Purity carry more weight with their names. The leader of the Empire and the strongest Blaster in the city..."

I nodded. At least he understood.

I cast Sophia away and brought Alabaster back out, then made my way toward the stairs. As I approached, I could hear someone walking down the stairs. I stopped, holding my breath. If they stopped here, got off at this floor...

Or if it was Kaiser and Purity...

No, that didn't make sense. Purity would fly out of the building, Kaiser would have louder footsteps with his armor. Unless he got rid of it when he came here...

Whoever it was passed quickly, and I stepped into the stairwell. A quick glance down revealed an older man in a suit. He didn't match Kaiser at all. I let out a sigh of relief. I started climbing the stairs.

"This is risky, you know?" Aegis asked. "I don't know if you're aware, but moves like this, attacking people in their homes? It's not done. Not since Fleur back in the days of the Brockton Bay Brigade."

I nodded. Everyone knew that story. Fleur was killed in her own home not too long after the Brigade revealed their identities. "I know, but that story doesn't really take away from my resolve. It was an Empire Cape who killed her, right?"

Aegis nodded. "It was, but...listen, you have enough of a reputation. Do you really want this added to it?"

"If it means no more Empire, if it means everyone is safer, then yes. I'll take that hit to my reputation."

"And if someone decides it's safe to go after your civilian ID?" Alabaster asked. "Turnabout is fair play and all that."

I looked down, stopping in the middle of the flight of stairs. "I...guess I'll need to be careful, then." I said. I could hear someone step into the stairway a couple of floors down. I started moving again.

"If I don't give them anything to track me down with, then I don't need to worry..."

I reached the 13th floor and pushed the door open, stepping into the hall.

"Listen, you don't have to do this." Alabaster said. "You don't know what Kaiser and Purity are capable of, you know? You could back off, just..."

"Stop." I said. "You can't convince me otherwise. I'm finishing this."

"They're too strong, you know that. Kaiser wouldn't have lasted this long if he weren't..." Alabaster said.

"No...you know that they can't beat me." I said, stopping in front of room 13E. "You know it, too. You're trying to stop me. Some sense of duty to your old team. But it won't work."

Alabaster turned to Tattletale and growled. "I hate your power."

"Anyone could tell what you were trying." Aegis said.

I swapped Aegis for Sophia, and phased through the door. As soon as I was through, I could hear the conversation that was underway.

"...nt me to risk my life, risk everything to put me in that psycho's line of sight?" A woman's voice. Purity. They were in the living room, around the corner from where I stood. I glanced around, taking in the room. I noticed a few cards on the fridge for an interior decorator. Kayden Anders.

That was her. I knew it. It all added up. Max Anders was the CEO of Medhall. A connection between them further than being on the same team.

"You would rather leave such a menace on the loose? Claiming more Capes by the day. You may not have a blood relation to Theodore..."

His voice rose as he said the name. I was able to put it together easily. His son, who was listening, who wasn't Purity's son.

"And Aster? One day, she'll trigger. It's almost guaranteed. Could you bear the thought of her being claimed?"

A pause.

"I know what you're doing. Trying to use Aster and Theo against me. But you...this is what you always do. Trying to manipulate people, and...and what you've done to Theo. I mean, he's locked in his room and..."

"Kayden, you left to be a hero..." Kaiser said. That gave me pause. Purity...had given up on the Empire and tried to go straight? "What better way to cement that reputation than to eliminate a threat of this level. You remember what it was like when Glaistig Uaine was active. If you played a part in her defeat, then all of your past actions would be overlooked, and..."

He took a deep breath, but it was an act. I could tell, and part of me assumed Purity knew, too.

"I would owe you a great deal, Kayden. I know that you don't care about the Empire anymore, but this girl claimed people who you once considered friends and allies. She would claim everyone who remains if she could."

"Ooh, he's making so many assumptions about you." Tattletale said. "He is a good actor, though."

"If you help me, Kayden, then I would give you anything you desire."

"Ooh, that sneaky bastard..." Tattletale said.

"I've never heard him like this." Alabaster said.

"Anything? Really?" Purity asked.

"Anything at all. You have my word."

Shit, he's winning her over.

I took a deep breath and stepped further into the apartment, casting Sophia aside for Hookwolf. "Nice speech, Kaiser." I said. I could see both of them stiffen as soon as I spoke. "Too bad it's all just manipulative shit."

Purity looked terrified, Kaiser radiated anger. "How did you find this place?"

"One of your lackeys was kind enough to spill the details on where you went after I busted up the party at Medhall." I said. "I'd say you can deal with that later, but they're all already in PRT custody, so you won't really have the chance."

I was interrupted by a blade bursting from the floor and striking me through the chest. The wound revealed the mass of blades that had replaced my innards. I stepped back, letting the blade come loose. Alabaster's power kicked in and sealed up the wound. "Nice try."

Kaiser stepped back, glancing slightly toward Purity. I looked at her too. "My issue is with Empire 88. If you're no longer a part of their ranks, and are no longer a villain, then you're safe."

She relaxed slightly, but was still on edge. That was as much because of Kaiser as it was me.

I turned my attention back to him. "So, if my assumptions are correct, there is...one Cape left in the Empire. And I'm pretty eager to get that number a bit lower." I said, stretching a bit.

Kaiser hesitated, but then...something changed. He returned to the confidence he had earlier when he first appeared before me. The same confidence he had when he was talking to Purity. "Come now, Elysium. Surely we can reach a compromise. My earlier off remains on the table. There would be a position of prominence in the Empire for you."

I could see the shock from Purity, even as Tattletale burst out laughing.

"He is unbelievable." she said.

"Ugh...not exactly his best showing." Alabaster said.

"Kaiser...we're not so different in some ways." I said. "I can tell what you're like. I can read the confidence that you carry. That's probably a big part of the reason that you chose your name, right? Sure, part of it was that you knew you would be inheriting the Empire at some point, or at least take a leadership role, right? You wanted your name to symbolize that power that you would inherit."

Confusion was leaking into him now. "I chose my name for a similar reason. I mean, with my power there was no point in trying to hide anything. At least with my name...Elysium. A resting place for heroes. It has a good connotation. It's a bit optimistic, though. I mean, do the people I connect to...that I claim really get rest? I can't say for sure. But...their powers go to a good cause. I can use them to help people. To take away suffering. That's where we differ. I try to relieve suffering, and you cause it. That's why I would never join you."

Kaiser rolled his shoulders. "Fairly long winded. A shorter answer would have sufficed."

I nodded. "True, but I wanted to keep your attention on me for as long as possible to give her a chance to set up."

Both Kaiser and Purity turned around just in time to see Tartarus release her tendrils and wrap them around Kaiser. He was much larger than her, but this trapping aspect of her power seemed to feed into some pocket dimension of sorts. It would be interesting to examine it more, but there would be time for that later.

"Now, my associate here is going to remove you from this place. We'll deal with you later."

"You can't do this!" Kaiser said. "I'm...I lead the Empire. This is my city!"

More blades sprung up, striking me and Tartarus. They scraped harmlessly against her. I had more wounds that couldn't actually hurt me, for a moment. Until they healed.

"You've been dethroned. You'll no longer be an issue in this city. Do it."

With that, Kaiser was dragged into Emma's projection, and she fell into the nearest shadow. I turned my attention to Purity, who was looking at me in shock and shaking. "Who...what was that?"

"A new teammate." I said. "You don't need to worry about him any more."

Purity shook her head, then sighed. "You were serious, weren't you? You really aren't going to hurt me?"

"No, not if you're really trying to be a hero. Put all the bad things you did behind you." I said. I turned toward a nearby door. It was closed. "Your children...are they okay?"

"They should be. I..." she paused, turning a bit pale. "Oh God, Theo." she added, approaching the door.

"What, what's wrong?"

"Kaiser, he mentioned the plan in front of him, at some point. Maybe he was on the phone? I'm not sure, but when he showed up and started explaining and ranting and raving about what you'd done and how we were all in danger...he locked himself in there with Aster, and he...I can't be sure but there was a moment..."

I looked between the door and Purity, and then my mouth fell open.

"Oh shit..." Tattletale said.

"What, what is it?" Alabaster asked.

"He probably pissed himself or something." Hookwolf said. "Kid was always a crybaby. Brought shame to both of his parent's legacies."

"He triggered?" I asked. Both of the Empire Capes looked at me in shock.

"I...I think so." Purity said. "There isn't a lock on that door, but it's stuck, and there was a moment where Max...Kaiser and I blacked out for a second." She knocked on the door. "Theo? Theo, please come out."

There was no response.

"I can go in." I said. "I can phase through the door and talk to him."

She looked conflicted for a moment, then nodded. "Please, if you can get him and Aster out of their..."

"I will." I said, casting Hookwolf aside for Sophia and phased through the door. Once on the other side, I took in the sight. An infant girl was in a crib. She didn't seem too upset.

The slightly overweight boy who was sitting in a rocking chair, breathing heavily, on the other hand seemed very upset.

"Theo, I assume."

"Oh God, it's you..." he said, still rocking.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to you. I just wanted to..." I turned and looked at the door, and saw a large wooden hand had emerged from it, pushing against the floor. I whistled. "Woah. You did that?"

"I guess so. I mean, I didn't mean to. It just happened, and..."

"Calm down, I know." I said. "Triggers are never easy. You'll be okay. We just need to get you out of here. Kaiser is gone, he can't do anything to you, Purity, or your sister."

"Did you..."

I paused. "No. One of my teammates took him. But he won't be back. My teammates and I will make sure of it."

He calmed down, at least a little. "He was going to take us. I overheard him on the phone. He was planning to force Kayden back into the Empire somehow and take Aster and me and try to get us to Trigger." He paused. "I guess he succeeded. Halfway, at least."

I smiled sadly behind my mask, not that he could see it. "Right, so how about we get you and Aster out of here, okay?"

He nodded, and moved over to the crib while I headed to the door. I swapped Sophia for Hookwolf again, and transformed my arm into a chainsaw. It took me about a minute to cut the wooden arm away. As soon as it was gone, I opened the door and Purity rushed in. She picked up Aster and turned to Theo.

"Theo, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry." he said. His voice was flat now, almost emotionless. I got the feeling that this was his default. "I was just trying to..."

"Theo, you protected Aster. Thank you so much." Purity said. She then turned to me. "And...thank you, for being kind and for your help. If there's anything I can do for you...within reason."

I nodded, and then paused. "You're trying to be a hero, right? Put the Empire days behind you. The Merchants are gone, and now the Empire is too." I said. I could see Purity shift slightly. "But you've been making strikes against the ABB for the most part anyway."

"Apparently it's not that easy to get past her Empire ideology." Tattletale said.

"She's still putting up the good fight." Alabaster said. "That should be respected."

"She was one of the few who could go toe to toe with Lung, even for a bit. Makes sense that she would still try to put that beast in his place." Hookwolf said.

"I have something of a score to settle with Lung. If you're interested, maybe we could work together." I said.

Purity seemed to mull it over. "You do seem effective, and you're definitely strong." Purity said. "We might actually be able to win if we cooperated."

"I'll let you think about it." I said, taking a card out of my pouch. "Take this and call the number if you want to work together."

Purity looked at Aster, hesitating. Theo took the card from me instead.

"I should go. My partners are waiting for me."

With that, I said goodbye to Purity and Theo and left the building. I headed up to the roof and flew down after swapping Hookwolf for Aegis. I touched down in an alley next to the building.

"Everything go well?" Lethe asked, causing me to jump. Once I recovered, I nodded.

"Tartarus has Kaiser." I said. "Purity was a non issue. She's not Empire anymore."

"Aww, and here I thought you were finally gonna get a cool long range attack."

"I'm not gonna kill people unless it's necessary." I said. "Speaking of, we should go meet up with her."

Lethe just nodded. She had already known the plan from my earlier text.

We headed away from the city, away from the Protectorate and PRT and all of the other watchful eyes. We headed into the wilderness just outside of the city, where Lethe had told Tartarus to wait for us. It was a long trip. It gave me time to think. To recognize whether this was the right choice or not.

Kaiser wasn't just the leader of the Empire, he was the Empire in many ways. As long as he was around, he could recover. Rebuild. He had too much charisma for me to believe he would ever be without followers.

We slowed as we approached Tartarus. She looked us over, looking uncomfortable.

"Let him out." I said.

"Listen, are you really going to...?"

"Just let him out."

She unfolded, letting Kaiser fall out. He was still held by the tendrils.

"What game is this?" he asked. "Decided against handing me over to the PRT?"

I nodded. "I don't know that it would really do any good. But, we do need you gone."

He nodded, smugness coming into his voice. "So, I leave the city and promise to never return? A fair trade, I suppose. Since you won, I can concede..."

He stopped as he saw me shaking my head. "No, you won't stay away. Someone with an ego like yours can't accept a loss." I said.

"Then, what are you...?"

I stepped forward, casting Aegis and Alabaster aside for Grue and Night. With each subsequent step, more and more darkness was generated.

I could see the realization in his limited movements. "No, you can't do this!" he said.

"I can." I said. I needed to. This was what Cauldron wanted me to do, more or less. Kaiser would never give up. He would try to come after me so long as he lived. He would never cooperate.

This wasn't just about him, though. I needed to prove that I could do what I had signed on to do. I needed to prove that I was willing to make myself stronger while removing dangerous and unstable elements.

As soon as the darkness had covered all of us, I struck out with one of my bladed limbs. I easily pierced his armor, and could feel my connection to his power as I sank into his flesh.

He was groaning, still protesting. I didn't want to hear it. Both because it wouldn't change my mind, and because it made me feel guiltier.

I pulled on his power and felt the connection form, and then pushed it away. I didn't want to deal with him right now.

I reverted, brought Alabaster and Sophia back out. I didn't want to talk to Aegis just yet, either. He wouldn't approve of this.

I also had to consider what I would say to Purity and Theo next time I saw them. There would be no reports of Kaiser being captured, just that he was gone.

"We'll come up with something." Tattletale said. "For now, I think you need to rest."

As the last of the darkness faded, I nodded. "You're right. I can't wait to get home and sleep."

I turned and saw Lethe and Tartarus staring at me.

"So, I think some introductions are a bit overdue." Lethe said.

I groaned. She was right, I needed to fill them in on each other.

Shit... I thought. Sleep was going to be a ways off.


	30. Chapter 30

Interlude - Coil

Coil paced across his office.

Normally, news that Empire 88 had been eliminated would be cause to celebrate. They had been a major roadblock to his plans. However, the news of who had defeated them was a concern.

Elysium. The girl had become a thorn in his side quickly. As soon as he had learned of her existence, he had planned ways to try and obtain her talents. It had gone fairly poorly the first time he approached her.

It had gone even worse the next three times he tried. At that point, he had given up on recruitment, and decided to begin planning for the inevitability of going against her.

His first step had been to nail down her abilities. One of his spies in the PRT had leaked her supposed power to him. He had opted to test that. He had learned quickly that she must have had access to Tattletale's power. Every time he had a camera on her, she had pulled her punches, acting only as she needed to to get out of the situation.

He had stepped up his plans, cornered her, forced her to fight. The first time, he had lost Circus. The second, he had lost Circus and Uber. The third time had led to Leet and several of the Travelers falling. Each time had led to her coming after him immediately.

He had been able to prove, however, that her true power lied in claiming Capes directly, and not simply connecting with those who had died. He had also learned that, unless he provoked her, she would not target him. Yet.

So, Coil had opted to take a backseat for the time being. He had the Travelers continue operating, albeit on a smaller scale, and continued to plan.

And then Elysium had given the Protectorate and New Wave information on him and his operations. Revealed that he had been behind the bank robbery and Alcott attack.

The Protectorate had begun investigating him more than they had been. New Wave had been the bigger thorn in his side, though. Likely because Glory Girl and Panacea had been injured in the bank robbery. The unfortunate deaths of the elder Alcott's had likely not helped, either.

Much of his time had then been devoted to repelling their investigations and attacks on his operations.

So, he decided to get a bit more aggressive. Supplying a bit of information to the Empire, letting them know some of the weaknesses to powers that Elysium had, and playing off of the hostility that already existed between them thanks to her decision to claim some of their Capes.

He had been hoping that Kaiser, with his resources, would be able to defeat her. Unfortunately, he had underestimated the powers that she had already possessed, and her willingness to claim new ones.

And now the Empire was gone. Coil had to assume that all of the confirmed dead and the missing were now at her disposal. He brought up the information he had managed to acquire.

Night, Fog, Othala, Rune, Kaiser, and a new Cape named Blitz who had electrical abilities. 6 new abilities to be used against him.

Purity had been on the list, initially, but she had made an appearance the previous night. Apparently content to let the world believe she was dead for just over two days.

And, on top of the increase in her power, the Travelers were now gone without a trace. He had known that some of them had been growing more concerned about Elysium's power, and their inevitable confrontation with her, but to just leave without obtaining his assistance with their issues?

It made no sense.

He was left with only Circus, Uber, Leet, and Trainwreck at his disposal. Far less power than he needed at this juncture.

He split the timeline. In one he stayed in his office, researching, planning.

In the other, he went to his pet.

"Pet, I have some questions." he said.

"Candy?" the girl asked. More of a whimper than anything.

"Soon, Pet. My questions first. What are the odds that my operations will survive the week?"

Another whimper. "58.357%."

"Odds that my operations will survive the month?"

"23.926%."

Coil growled. He knew that he was on Elysium's radar...did he really only have less than a month until she acted against him?

"Pet...odds that I can succeed in my ambitions in another city? If I forego what I've begun here?"

"32.495%."

He then paused. "Odds of my success if I leave the city with you?"

"3.826%."

He collapsed the timeline. Taking Dinah with him would drop his odds of success to almost 0.

He gripped the edge of his desk and growled.

I can't leave her behind. She's too valuable.

He split the timeline again. He would need to ask more questions. Would need to formulate some plan.

There had to be a way to defeat her.

After all, he controlled fate.


	31. Chapter 31

Interlude: Wards

Gallant sighed as he made his way to the Wards common area. Tensions were high all over the building, and it was becoming daunting to deal with day to day. For the last month or so, he had particularly wished that he had the ability to turn his emotion sense off.

He flinched as he made it to the door and scanned his eye. He could feel the emotions from the other side of the wall, knew what he was walking into.

As the door opened, the voices melded with the emotions.

"-can't believe you're joking around with her on the PHO boards!"

"And I can't believe that you're stalking my post history. I'm just trying to stay up to date on everything that's going on in the city."

While joking with a murderers partner!"

"There's no actual proof, no way to go after her..."

"You know it, though." Vista said, pacing. She wheeled around, facing Clockblocker again. "You called her out on it, earlier in the thread."

"And I got reamed out for it. It's not behavior Piggy expects from the current leader of the wards..."

Sadness, apprehension, resentment. Dennis was full of so many emotions when it came to taking over leadership of the wards. Any positive feelings he had toward the job had been overshadowed by the circumstances surrounding him having it.

"This argument again?" Gallant asked, making his presence known.

"Still, actually." Flechette said. "They've been at it since you left this morning."

"Dean, tell him I'm right! That we shouldn't be interacting with them..."

Gallant sighed. Vista had taken the loss of Aegis...Carlos, particularly hard. It didn't help that there were...questions surrounding his death.

"Missy...there's nothing we can do without proof. For the time being, regardless of suspicions, the PRT and Protectorate are acting as though Elysium and Lethe are what they say they are...heroes." Gallant said.

"But...they can't be. They took Carlos, I know it!"

Gallant wished that he could say, honestly, that Elysium hadn't claimed Aegis, but...circumstances stacked against the girl. She had only shown a small array of powers, and they had all belonged to people who had either died under mysterious circumstances or in her immediate vicinity.

Even the Protectorate heroes were suspicious. Armsmaster especially. Whenever Elysium was brought up, he radiated anger and frustration.

"Missy, I read her emotions. She didn't strike me as a psycho." Gallant said. He left out that she was radiating guilt, sadness... That hadn't helped assuage his personal suspicions.

Missy ran her hands through her hair and groaned. "But it's so obvious..."

"She also gave information on a villain, right?" Flechette asked. "This Coil guy?"

"Yeah, and Assault and Battery have been looking into it. Dauntless too, when he has the time."

Gallant sighed as he went to the fridge to grab a water. Sadness flooded the room as the investigation was mentioned. Velocity had been helping Assault and Battery.

"Have they found anything out?"

"Not really..." Dennis said. "Coil's pretty sneaky. Operates from the shadows, so on, so forth."

"So, that won't even prove whether she's on the level or not." Flechette said.

"She's not, there's no way she is." Missy said. "Even if she's telling the truth about Coil, she still killed people. The Empire fight proved that."

That was true. Elysium hadn't been discrete when she engaged the Empire. She had approached them in broad daylight, and had a number of witnesses to verify that. And the corpses she had left behind...

"We don't know the circumstances surrounding that fight." Gallant said. "It's best not to jump to assumptions..."

Missy let out another groan. "This isn't right! We...we should help. We should go out and..."

"Vista, stop!" Clockblocker said.

Shock, confusion. Misst turned slowly to look at Clockblocker.

"I don't want you to go on about this anymore. Elysium is out of our hands. The Protectorate is looking into and dealing with her. If I hear you keep going on about her, then...I'll coordinate with Armsmaster and Piggot and you'll be on monitor duty until you learn to this alone."

Clockblocker was radiating apprehension, nervousness, sadness.

Missy was angry, confused, hurt.

Without another word, she turned and walked out of that room. Clockblocker removed his helmet and sat down on the couch, letting his head fall back. "That could have gone better..."

"Probably." Gallant said, forcing a smile. "She's just...still upset about Carlos. She won't stay mad forever."

"It's not her being mad I'm worried about. She's been getting more...impulsive on her patrols, and..."

He didn't need to say it. He was concerned that she would try to go after Elysium.

"I don't think we need to worry about that." Gallant said. "She's smarter than that."

"I hope so."

"She's just not used to losses like this. I mean, Sophia and then Aegis in the span of a few months? It's taken a toll on all of us."

"Doesn't help that the same person was behind both incidents." Clockblocker...Dennis said.

"Allegedly." Gallant reminded.

"Right, allegedly."

Silence fell over the room. Flechette was trying to hide her interest in the conversation and her apprehension due to having nothing to add. She was new, didn't know the city yet.

"I just...I wish Carlos were still here. I feel like I'm floundering. I don't know how to be a leader." Dennis said.

"That's kind of the point of this, right? To teach us how to lead." Gallant replied. "But you should remember, you're not in this alone. We'll help you out. Me, Vista, Chris..."

"And me." Flechette added.

"And, in keeping with that, may I offer some advice?" Gallant asked.

Dennis nodded, eyebrow raised.

"Maybe...maybe we shouldn't interact with Lethe on PHO. Or anyone connected to Elysium. Just to avoid problems like this."

Dennis opened his mouth, then sighed and nodded. "Yeah, sure..." he said.

Another moment of silence.

"Do you...think I should go apologize?"

"Not yet." Gallant said. "She's pretty angry. Give her time to cool off. And when you apologize, try not to go back on the repercussions for going against orders. She still needs to know there are consequences."

Dennis nodded, then smiled. "Don't suppose I could convince you to talk to her for me?"

Gallant smirked. "Sorry, boss. This one's all you. When I take over after the summer, then these uncomfortable talks can fall to me."

Dennis sighed again. "So much for back up."

"Hey, if you guys don't mind me asking...What has been happening with Elyisum lately? I haven't heard much since the Empire fiasco."

"She's been hiding or something. Hasn't been seen in the last few days. Some of the higher ups think she might be trying to get a handle on any new powers she's grabbed. Others think she might just be resting." Gallant said.

"No chance she skipped town?"

Dennis shook his head. "Not likely. Her tactics and the fact that she dished info on Coil? She's probably a resident of the city, and wants to see it improved. At least, that's the theory. It would explain why she's mostly targeted villains."

Gallant excused himself, leaving Dennis and Flechette to talk. He headed to his room, passing Vista's as he did. Her anger was still there, but was now tinged with more sadness and hurt.

He would likely talk to her later. After Dennis had. He would be an ear for her, try to help her through some of this. Advise that she talk to the shrink that the PRT had brought in.

But, for now, he was feeling a bit overwhelmed, and needed to lie down and rest.


	32. Chapter 32

Part 26:

I couldn't help but bounce down the stairs. I was in a pretty good mood. Mainly because the headache that I had been hit with from my constant use of Tattletale's power had finally faded. It had put me out of commission for a few days.

I had been able to ignore it in the heat of battle, but I had regretted that until this morning when I was finally able to fully open my eyes.

Plus, I could use Tattletale's power again. Being without it left me feeling...dull. It felt like I was missing cues all over the place.

I stepped into the kitchen, seeing my dad and Aisha already eating.

"Morning, sunshine." Aisha said, grinning.

"Feeling better this morning?" my dad asked.

"Much." I said, sitting at the table where a plate had already been placed. "Pancakes, eh?"

"Yeah. Aisha ran to the store yesterday. She's been pretty bored with you out of commission." dad said.

I glanced to her, and saw her grin.

"Yeah, I bet she's been really bored." Tattletale said.

I smiled. "Well, I'll be able to keep her company now, so..."

"So we'll be getting up to all sorts of trouble together, Mr. H. It's been so lame having to rough people up by myself."

My dad chuckled as he turned back to the stove to flip some pancakes, luckily missing the glare that I shot Aisha.

"So, seriously, any plans for the day?" dad asked.

"Nothing concrete." I said.

"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something." he said. "I wish I could take the day off, spend some time with you, but with all of the work to do..."

"It's fine, dad. We'll find something fun to do. And maybe we can do something this weekend?"

"Yeah, sure." dad said.

We continued to chat as we ate. It was nice. Normal.

Dad seemed happier. I could tell he was happier. Part of that was the influx of jobs that he had for his people. Part was the improvements that I had shown. He didn't feel like he had to worry about me.

Which made me feel worse, because he had no idea why how much he should be worried.

He didn't know how I had waged a war on the Empire. How I planned to take down Lung and Coil. How the PRT were suspicious of me and, if they had the chance, would probably bust down the door to get me and Aisha.

But soon enough he was out the door, leaving me with instructions to consider what we might want to do this weekend. Aisha and I waited until we heard his car pull away before speaking.

"You guys are too cute. You're gonna make me all jealous." Aisha said.

"You're more than welcome to go and see your parents. I won't ask you not to." I said, taking another bite of my breakfast.

"They're still out of town. My dad's gotten some work out of town, and with the Merchants gone, my mom's been dragging her feet coming back. Course, she hasn't said that, but..."

I sighed. "Sorry. I didn't know..." I should have been able to pick up on that. I had been so focused on the Empire, though, and then I had to cut myself off from Tattletale's power.

"It's cool, we've been taking care of business." Aisha said, dropping her plate into the dishwasher. "By the way, you're new pet's been getting on my nerves the last couple of days."

I nodded as I swallowed my last mouthful of food. "Not surprised. Habits like being obnoxious can be tough to break."

"Well, why take her on if she's so obnoxious?"

"Can't trust her on her own, and she's got a decent power." I said, placing my own plate in the dishwasher alongside Aisha's. "Plus, we could always use more help. Especially for when we take on Lung."

"Ooh, you already planning?" Aisha asked, bouncing up and down. "I've been itching to go all super spy on someone who matters again."

I paused, glancing at her. "You...haven't been tormenting people without reason, have you?"

She let out an exaggerated breath. "No, mom. Just been doing what you asked. Gathering intel."

"Alright, let me grab a sweatshirt. Hit me with what you've learned." I said, turning and heading out of the kitchen.

"Alright, so no real change with the Wards. Far as I can tell, they've been sticking to their normal routes. Couple of new faces, though."

"Probably Piggot trying to fill out her ranks. She had been trying to get new Capes, either full fledged Protectorate or Wards for a while. An Endbringer attack is a good reason." Aegis said. "Wonder how many are gonna be permanent."

"Gonna be hard to tell." I said.

"Ooh, which one are you talking to?" Aisha asked.

I groaned. "Aegis. He thinks the director is trying to use Leviathan's attack to bring more heroes into the Bay."

"Oh, tell Aegis I say hi."

I opened my mouth to relay the message, and then groaned. "He can hear you..."

Aisha snickered. "I know."

I rolled my eyes and then entered my room.

"Aren't more heroes a good thing? Less work for us. They might keep Coil or Lung busy, give us more time to plan."

"Yeah, or they could just piss them off, force them to take more drastic actions." I said. "I'd rather stick to the status quo, you know? Not shake things up too much right now."

"Little late for that, I think." Grue said. "Taking down the Empire probably shook things up plenty."

I didn't bother responding. He was right, of course, but...

"I get what she means, though. Lung's already going to be on edge, considering two of the gangs have been taken down. He has to know the ABB is on the list." Aegis said.

"Ooh, pretty insightful of you, Aegis." Tattletale said.

"Hey, just cause I'm a Brute doesn't mean I'm dumb."

"Right. Any other info you want to share?"

Aegis shook his head. "Not really. I mean, Lung is pretty lax most of the time. Well...maybe lax isn't the right word. It takes a lot to get him to respond to something. Even more for him to go all out."

"Like robbing a casino..." Grue said. Tattletale looked at him sheepishly.

"Well, all we need to do is come up with a good plan, and our friend here will make sure Lung pays, right?" Tattletale asked.

"Yeah, right..." I said. "I did promise." I added, glancing toward Aegis. I knew he still wanted to ask me for something, some request. He had been kind enough to hold off while I was recovering.

"Speaking of promises..." he said.

Apparently my reprieve was over. I forced a smile and looked to him. "Right, you wanted to ask me for something. Didn't get the chance before." I could see Tattletale at the edge of my vision. I got the impression that she was apologetic. This had been intentional.

"I...I know what you're probably thinking. That I might want closure with my family, you to pass on some message..."

I nodded. I had thought that. This conversation had abolished that notion.

"But..they knew the risks, to a degree. I think it would be for the best if they just thought I was gone. I don't want them to have to assume things, or wonder what this means for me..."

"But your team already has an idea." I said, finishing his thought. "You want me to talk to the Wards for you?"

He nodded. "They...there are some things I want to say to them, if that's alright."

I sighed. That was the other idea I had. The other inkling. It made too much sense.

The Wards would likely hate me. They had every reason to. Aegis had admitted that the Protectorate as a whole was suspicious of me. Even Alexandria had told me as much. I had seen posts from some of them online. They knew I had Sophia, knew I had Aegis...

I could feel a swell of guilt. I hadn't wanted to claim them. Sophia was an accident, Aegis was to preserve him in some way.

Could I really face the Wards after everything I had done?

I looked at Aegis. He had treated me as a hero, without question. Even though he hadn't fully trusted me.

I nodded. "Right. Fair enough." I said, pulling on my gray sweatshirt. "I'll try to set something up. Doubt they'll let me into the PRT HQ, but..."

"Really? You'll do it?" Aegis asked.

"Yeah, of course. Compared to fighting Lung or Coil, this'll be nothing."

"Hey, as fun as hearing half of a conversation is, maybe we should get rolling." Aisha said.

"Waiting for a few minutes won't kill you." I said at the same time Grue did.

"Ugh, you sound like my brother."

I smiled slightly. "Whatever, let's go make our rounds."

"You like what we did with the place?"

I looked around the room, flabbergasted. "Where did you get all of this stuff?"

The previously empty, abandoned apartment that we had spent hours finding was now full of furniture. Not exactly cheap furniture, either. Two recliners, a couch, a coffee table...

"A fucking generator? And a TV and a fridge? The point of this place was to remain inconspicuous. All it takes is someone to notice noise, and then Emma's hiding spot is compromised."

"I need to be awake sometimes..." Emma said. Both Emmas, I noted. While her projection spoke, her real body whispered the words. It was unnerving.

I looked to the projection, which was wearing a black sundress instead of it's costume. "You can be awake without things that make noise."

"And what, stare at the walls? And I still need food." she said, crossing her arms. The pose was classic Emma.

"We can get stuff for you." I said. "But if someone finds you while you're out..."

"That's always going to be a risk, unless you have some bright idea to work around it. Trust me, I'm all ears." Emma said. "Hell, if I had it my way, I would always stay asleep. I hate being...that..."

I glanced back toward her real body. "You got off relatively light, you know. I've researched a bit over the last couple of days. Other Case 53's have it way worse. You could always claim some deformity."

Emma huffed and walked over to one of the recliners and plopped down. "Great, I'm not as horribly mutated as I could have been." she said.

"Such a happy crew you're assembling." Tattletale said. "Ooh, we should get Psycho Stalker out here, too. That should get a party going."

"I assume you're not a fan of Shadow Stalker?" Aegis asked.

"You are? Don't bother trying to lie, Aegis."

"She's...rough around the edges, but..."

"More than rough around the edges. Grue and I have seen how she really is up close and personal. And poor Taylor has her living in her head."

I shook my head and tried to ignore them. Tattletale could rant about Sophia for hours.

Well, she could rant about anything for hours, if she really wanted to.

I turned my attention back to Emma and Aisha. Emma was standing again, inching closer to Aisha. I could see seems in her skin starting to open.

"Aww, come on. You could be like our mascot. We could probably get donations."

"I am not going to be your crippled mascot!" Emma said.

"Alright, enough." I said. "Emma, you can keep the stuff for now, but we'll need to figure out a way to secure this place even better. It should be far enough from the ABB's territory that it won't be a major issue..."

Emma stood still for a moment, still glaring at Aisha, then nodded.

"But keep the volume down. And the lights off as much as you can." I said. "Also...have you called your family yet?"

She looked down, but nodded. "Yeah, this morning. They're still out of town, probably will be for a couple more weeks."

"Good, that gives us time to decide what to do about this whole situation."

"What do you mean? Just tell them the truth. They should be thrilled that their daughter's working with the new up and coming Cape in the city." Aisha said. "And you too, Tay. Honestly, you girls are blessed."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I doubt my parents would like me working as a Cape at all, much less with one suspected of murder."

I could have made a quip about Sophia, and I could tell that Emma realized that as well. I opted to let it go and be the bigger person.

That was the dynamic we had fallen into since high school began, after all.

"Well, whatever. Let's go. I want to make sure my project is still in one piece." I said.

"I told you I've been checking on it. It looks fine." Aisha said.

"No offense, but if something went wrong, you probably wouldn't catch it. It's a Tinker thing." I said. I then looked to Emma, who materialized a pair of black shoes out of her shadow. "Really working the shadowy look these days, huh?"

"My power seems to only be able to make black clothes." Emma said.

"You can scrounge up couches and TVs but not clothes?"

"Clothes won't come with me when I teleport. Only things inside me will."

"Ooh, kinky." Aisha said.

Emma and I each looked at her, mouths agape. She broke out in a fit of giggles.

"There's something to be said..." Aegis began. "For the girl who literally has voices in her head to not be the craziest person in the room."

"All I can think about is how much Aisha would have gotten along with Regent." Tattletale said.

Grue groaned. "Please, don't say that. The last thing I would have wanted is for him to be an influence on Aisha."

I turned and headed toward the door. "Whatever, let's go. We'll check my project, then try and find some stuff to fortify this place so you don't get killed in the middle of a fight." I said, looking to Emma.

Aisha was quick to catch up to me. Emma dragged her feet a bit.

Quite the team you're forming, Taylor...


	33. Chapter 33

Part 27:

"I can't believe you dragged us to a junkyard." Emma said, kicking a stone. "This is your idea of fun these days?"

"Shut up, Emma." I said as I swapped Grue for Squealer. "If you can think of a better place to find all the parts I need to make a vehicle, then spit it out."

"So, this is your new friend, bitch?" Squealer asked. "Real clam bake around here. Should pegged you as a lez."

My eyes shot to Squealer. "Seriously? You're starting with me, too?" I asked. "I'm not...whatever, think what you want to." I said.

"Ooh, Ms. Meth have something to say? Wanna share it with the class?" Aisha asked.

"Ms. Meth?" Emma asked.

"Squealer, one of the Merchants." I explained, floating over a couple of cars that had fallen in the wake of Leviathan's attack. "She's just pissy because I don't bring Skidmark out that often."

"More like ever. You use blabbermouth and psycho bitch all the time, plus those nazi fuckers. But we get the shaft." Squealer complained.

I could have explained that I had needed their powers to get a kickstart on my career, or that having them off the streets meant people were safer. After all, the Merchants had fallen apart without their Capes. Last I heard, a few new triggers had tried to step in and keep them going, but they had failed. Once Leviathan hit, they were basically completely wiped out.

I rounded the corner and saw my project. The old RV that I had been modifying for the past few weeks. Most of the work had been interior, under the hood. The exterior changes would come last since they were harder to hide.

"An old shitty RV?" Emma asked. "Great, good work."

"It looks old and shitty right now, sure. But the engine is completely rebuilt, and runs better than just about anything in the city I bet. Kinda loud, but that won't be an issue once I build the cloaking device. It'll keep any sound this thing makes from traveling beyond a certain distance. People within, say, a mile will be able to hear us coming, but no one else."

"Why even have the noise at all?"

I considered that for a moment. It was strange, but...something about the sound that the vehicle would make just clicked with Squealer's power. I shrugged, and headed inside of the RV. It was already coded so that only Aisha and I could enter be scanning our fingerprints. I figured Emma could probably teleport in.

I grabbed my tools, and exited.

"So, you're just gonna work on this thing?" Emma asked. "Why are we even here?"

"Plausible deniability, partly. If we get caught, we can say we were just looking around or something. They'll be more likely to believe a group than one person." I said, opening the hood. Last time I had worked on The Monster, I had been hit with an idea to increase oil efficiency. It came flooding back as I looked everything over. "The other part is...well, if there's trouble, better that all of us are here than not. Plus, we really should plan." I added, going to work.

"Plan for what, exactly?" Emma asked.

"Well, we have grand plans for this city." Aisha said, hopping onto the hood of a nearby car and laying back. "But, before we can go ahead we have a couple of problems. And they hit a bit closer to home than our previous problems."

"Problems? Like...Cape problems?"

"Duh. One very well known problem, and one much less well known problem." Aisha said. "Lung, and by extension his ABB, and Coil."

I could see Emma pace a bit as she mulled over the information. "I read about you telling the PRT about Coil on PHO, but Lung? Why would you want to fight him?"

"He killed my bro." Aisha said. "More or less. Tay was able to save him, kinda."

"He roasted the Undersiders for robbing one of his casinos. I happened to stumble on the scene right after he left. Two of them were already dead, I...used my power on Tattletale and Grue, because there was no way to save them." I said. "They were, understandably, upset about being killed. They want revenge on Lung."

"And Coil?"

"He was there boss. Only Tattletale knew, and she was forced to keep quiet." I said, pulling myself away from the engine and heading to a nearby car to harvest it for parts. "She wants to take him down because he forced her to join him. Plus...he's responsible for the Alcott case."

Emma raised an eyebrow. Aisha caught it too, and began to explain. "The Travelers hit Brockton Bay Central Bank a while back. At the same time, a house was hit. Two adults killed, one kid kidnapped. The kid had been complaining about headaches and claiming she could see the future."

"And they were the Alcotts, then?" Emma asked. "So...he took her because of her power?"

I nodded, and headed back to The Monster. I need to come up with a better name for you.

"Tattletale doesn't like him because he's manipulative, I don't like him because he kidnapped a little girl after killing her parents."

"He's scum." Aisha said.

"Alright, so you have reasons for both of them, I guess."

"And we need to decide how we're going to approach this. ABB or Coil first?"

"I haven't been able to find anything on Coil." Aisha said. "He runs a tight ship."

"Me too. I mean, I've been focused on the Empire mostly, but his security is good. Too good. I think he's actively working against Tattletale's power. So, he wither knows I have it or is assuming I do."

"He's a very sneaky and careful guy." Tattletale said. "He's likely assuming that you have the powers of anyone who's died since you showed up."

I nodded. "That's what I was thinking. But you knew that." I whispered. "So, Coil will be tough to find. The ABB on the other hand."

"They have territory." Aisha said. "Easy enough just to go there, cause trouble, and wait for the Capes to flood in. But..."

"They're monsters." Emma said. "All of them, Capes or no." I could hear the trembling in her voice. Her old trauma coming to the surface. "Oni Lee is a killer, like...a trained assassin. Lung is a god damn dragon!"

"And their new cape, Bakuda." I said. "A Tinker, makes bombs. An unknown. She could be capable of a lot of damage, but she's been more or less kept on the backburner."

"If I could find her, I could take her out of the running. Though, you might wanna do your thing to her. Could be advantageous and what not." Aisha said.

"The two of you...sound like generals or something." Emma said, crossing her arms and hugging herself.

"Well, we have seen some shit recently." Aisha said.

"Yeah, it...just gets to be normal, after a while." I added. "Thinking like this, in terms of threats and opportunities."

An uncomfortable silence hung over us for a few minutes, the only sound was me working.

"So..." Aisha finally said. "The ABB."

"Right. We have an edge, there." I said, then cast a glance at Emma.

"Me? You think I'm...?"

"You're invincible, more or less. If anything could hurt your projection body, it just pops away and you make a new one." I said. "That means none of them can really hurt you. No matter how strong Lung gets. No matter what kind of crazy Tinker bombs Bakuda can make. Plus, I think you could take Oni Lee out of the picture."

"What? How?" Emma asked.

I had put some thought into this, before it got to the point that using Tattletale's power became to painful. "Oni Lee's power allows him to bring some things with him when he teleports. I don't think you could stop him from doing it, but I think if you trap him, that he would take you with him. He wouldn't be able to do anything."

"What about his copies?" Aisha asked.

"I...that depends on him." I said. "They operate off of his mind and mental state when he teleports. If he's confused and afraid enough, I think they would just flail a bit until they disappeared."

"Kind of a gamble." Aisha said.

"Well, anything we do to them is going to be a gamble. As it is, I can't be sure how a fight with Lung would go. Whether his scales will count as a part of him or as armor that my power can't work through."

"You really are planning on taking Lung?" Aegis and Emma asked at the same time.

I nodded. "Yeah, he's...his power is strong. Probably something we'll want to keep in play." Neither of them had heard Cauldron's explanation. Neither had Squealer, but she didn't care. She was just listing off potential additions to the Monster. "Plus, it could be a deterrent. A way to keep people from wanting to fight us. Just think, Lung on the good guys side? Who would want to pick a fight with that."

"No one. Specially when he has two other powers at the same time." Aisha said. "So, we gotta decide between the dragon and the sneaky dude."

"His costume has a snake on it, if you want to make that parallel." Tattletale said.

"Right. Coil or Lung? My worry is that either will run if we make a move against the other." I said.

"Unlikely, really. I think they're both too proud to ditch the city." Tattletale added. "Lung would see it as a shot at his rep and a show of weakness, and Coil...well, he's just too proud. Thinks he's smart enough to outsmart anyone."

"So you're saying they won't?" I asked.

"I can't guarantee anything, but I think it's unlikely. Lung's more likely to try and beat you into dust, and Coil would try to find some way to manipulate you. Some sort of dirt, like family..."

"Or the girl." I said. He could try to use her as leverage over me.

"Coil's more subdued. And if you were right, and The Travelers were working for him, well... they fucked off." Aisha said. "He doesn't have much if that's true."

"So, your vote is for the ABB." I said. "And, you're right. Lung is likely going to want to make a move on the Empire's territory now that they're gone. That could mean a lot of people getting hurt."

Emma stopped her pacing and looked at me. "Then...if I get a vote, I'll vote for the ABB too."

I finished installing the new oil system, and slammed the hood closed. "Alright, guess we know what we're doing next." I said. "But...I think we'll need help."

"Really? The three of us could do it." Aisha said. "I mean, we have the living damage sponge."

"Hey..." Emma said.

"It's still dangerous. Lung is a monster in more than one sense of the word. If we could have backup, I'd feel better." I said. I glanced toward Aegis, then back to Emma and Aisha. "And I might have a way to kill two birds with one stone."

Emma raised an eyebrow while Aisha grinned. "Ooh, ghost plan. We going now?"

I nodded. "Yeah, spare costumes are in the storage area inside. Suit up, Emma."

I watched as Emma sighed, then sank into the shadow of the RV. A moment later, she emerged in her costume.

I walked into the RV, pulling my phone out and logging into PHO through one of my many accounts. I tried to stay off of it these days, but this would be the best way to reach The Wards.

Hopefully they would be willing to play ball.


	34. Chapter 34

Part 28:

I paced back and forth along the stone path, waiting for the Wards to arrive. It had taken quite a few messages to get them to accept that this wasn't a trap.

Not really a trap, anyway. Unless you counted a pitch to join in a fight with the ABB a trap.

"Chill out." Lethe said. "They won't come in guns blazing. They won't even know it's you."

"They'll have an idea." I said.

Tartarus stayed quiet. I was fine with that.

"I wonder if they'll all come." Aegis said.

"Doubt it, this'll be unsanctioned. Some will show, but not all of them." Tattletale said.

Alabaster was being uncharacteristically quiet. I was also okay with that. He had been demanding that I let the other Empire Capes out more often now that I had Kaiser.

It was another few minutes before they arrived. I could see Gallant, Vista, and Clockblocker. The two boys were in the front. Shielding Vista, because her costume doesn't cover every inch of her.

They had another Cape with them, hidden. A ranged attacker of some sort, just in case.

"You?" Vista asked as she approached.

"Me." I confirmed. "Nice to see you all again."

They were silent for a moment. Gallant was the one who spoke first. "Why did you ask us here?"

"You can sense my emotions, Gallant. You should know I'm not planning any attack against you."

"Right, unless you got some power that can hide that." Clockblocker said.

I shook my head. "No emotion shield. I just wanted to talk."

"About what?" Vista asked. I could tell she was feeling the area out, getting ready to use her power.

"Well...before I get to business...I..."

"Well, spit it out." Clockblocker said.

"Clockblocker, shh." Gallant replied.

I sighed. "I...I won't beat around the bush. You...you all know how my power works, approximately." I wasn't stupid. Even without Tattletale's power, I knew that they had figured me out, somewhat.

"Yeah, and?" Vista asked. "You gonna try and kill us, to silence us and make yourself stronger?"

"No!" I said. "I...I don't claim heroes."

"What about Shadow Stalker and Aegis?" Vista asked.

"Shadow Stalker was...an accident. And Aegis...he was dying. Leviathan threw him at me while I was using Hookwolf's power, and the damage from that...he wouldn't recover."

His death still weighed heavily on me. It had been me who, technically, killed him. Even if Leviathan had initiated it. And, if I had just claimed Othala earlier, I could have saved him...

I shook my head. No point in dwelling on that.

"In any case, I can...communicate with the Capes who's powers I claim."

I could read the surprise from all three of them. "We know...the PRT files say as much." Gallant said.

"Right...of course. Well, Aegis...he wanted me to talk to you."

"Aegis?" Vista asked. I nodded.

"About what?" Clockblocker asked.

I looked at Aegis, and he began to speak with me acting as his translator. "He wants to know how you're handling leadership. He's sorry that it was forced on you a few months early."

Clockblocker stepped back slightly, then stopped. "Can...can he hear me?"

I nodded, and his shoulders slumped. "It's...fine."

"He's sure you're doing fine. And he knows you can handle it. Just like Gallant will handle it after you leave at the end of the summer."

All three of them were looking at each other now.

"You...could have gotten that information from the PRT or something." Vista said. "Doesn't mean Aegis is telling you."

"He...he wants me to tell you that he's sorry for breaking up the team. Though he is proud that the rest of you made it out of the fight. But...he doesn't regret going at all. And he's glad that he was able to work with all of you."

I looked down. This was hard to say. I had played a part in cutting his life short, had not only been the cause of his injuries, but had also ended his life. Sure, it was in an attempt to preserve him, but...

I was shaken by my thoughts by Vista's fist connecting with my face. It hurt, but Aegis' power kept me standing, and Alabaster's undid the pain quickly.

"Fuck you!" she said. "You...you don't get to speak for him. We know what you did! We know you killed him! After what you did to the Empire, there's no way..."

"Vista...please..." Gallant said, reaching for her.

"No! It's not fair!" Vista said, turning to him. "She killed him. If she hadn't been there, he wouldn't have been hurt, and then because he got hurt she killed him. He was a hero! And now she's...she's...they're not even doing anything about her."

"Jesus..." Aegis said. "This...this isn't like her. She's usually so..."

"Reserved?" Tattletale asked. "It's an act. Kind of. It started as one, but she grew into it. Didn't want to be seen as the weak little girl on the Wards. She keeps everything bottled up now so she doesn't seem like a burden."

"She should be in jail, in the Birdcage!" Vista continued. "She's killed...how many people since she first showed up?"

"It's...the PRT and Protectorate have their reasons." Gallant said.

I winced. I knew the reason. It was because I had made a deal with some of the strongest Capes in the world, and they happened to run the PRT.

"Hey...can you?" Aegis asked. I nodded.

"Vista..." I said, speaking for Aegis again. "It's...he says he knew the risks when he went into the fight. And while he hoped he would make it out..." I stopped, looking at him. "I don't want to say that, they won't believe it was you."

"Please?"

I sighed. "While he wishes he had made it out, he's glad that he was able to stick around in some capacity, so that he could see you guys succeed."

Vista turned to look at me, glaring. "Fuck you..." she said, then she walked away, crossing back over to her teammates with a single step.

Lethe let out a whistle while Tartarus looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"...you done?" Clockblocker asked.

"I...I think that was all Aegis wanted to say." I said. "But, I wanted to..."

I stopped as all three of their phones went off. I assumed the hidden Ward's phone was ringing as well.

They all looked at their phones. Vista paled a bit, and the other two seemed just as concerned.

"What's going on?" Lethe asked.

"Something happened." I said, drawing the attention of the three Wards. "Something big...murders?"

"Listen, we shouldn't discuss..."

"No, regardless of how you feel about me, I'm a...a hero. Or I'm trying to be. We all are, so..."

"Nine bodies." Clockblocker said, drawing looks from his partners. "What, they would have figured it out anyway. If Elysium didn't, then Lethe would have."

"You know it." Lethe said. Tartarus his her on the shoulder, shushing her.

"Nine...oh shit..." I said.

"What? What is it?" Tartarus asked.

"The Slaughterhouse Nine." I said.

"Obviously." Lethe added.

Tartarus looked shocked. "Jesus..."

"We need to go." Gallant said. "They're calling us all back to HQ."

"We'll come." I said.

"No way." Vista responded. "Protectorate business. Stay out of it."

"So New Wave won't be showing up?" Lethe asked.

Vista glared, but didn't speak.

"Look, we don't need to go with you, but..."

"I don't think it's a good idea." Gallant said. "I understand that you're trying, and you had good intentions with trying to pass on words from Aegis, but...I think it would be best if you stayed out of this."

"I can't just sit back while those psychos are walking around the city." I said.

"It's...just suspected." Clockblocker said.

"It fits too well." I replied. "It fits their MO, going into a city full of strife, hitting it while it's weak."

"Look, just...just stay out of this." Gallant said. "Please. We...for everyone's best interest."

With that, they turned and walked away, Vista using her power to help them cover more ground.

"That could have gone better." Alabaster said.

"I...I'm sorry. I knew they'd be upset, but..." Aegis sighed. "I hoped me saying something through you might help a bit."

"So what are we doing, boss?" Lethe asked. "Heading home?"

I shook my head and glanced in the direction that the Wards had gone. "No...we're heading to the PRT base."


	35. Chapter 35

Part 29:

The Wards hurried to the PRT base. I stayed above, ducking behind buildings to avoid their attention. Which, turned out to be more difficult than I had initially thought. Aegis had been their eyes in the sky before, but now...

Well, I had heard that they had gotten a couple of new members. Flechette was a temporary member, filling in for a bit. This new one, though? They had announced her permanence. Orbit, floating her team around on a large device that she had been given.

I smiled a bit at that. Rune had actually taken my advice. I could tell, even from this distance, that there were some frictions between them. That had been one of the reasons that she had stayed back in the park.

The other was that...they had been prepared, wanted her ready to try and take us out if necessary.

It wouldn't have worked. Not really. They maybe could have injured Lethe, but Tartarus and I could have stopped them easily, ensured that she escaped any harm.

And nothing they could throw at us could really harm us. I wasn't stupid. We were out of their league.

Tattletale and Aegis were being quiet. The former was taking in what info she could from the Wards and the surroundings, much like I was. The last thing we needed was to be caught by surprise. Especially by a member of the Nine.

Aegis was...still thinking over our conversation with the Wards. I still felt bad for him. He had been hoping it would go well.

"This is stupid." Alabaster said. "I mean, that's kind of par for the course for you, but the Slaughterhouse Nine? How fucked up do you have to be to want to go after them?"

I ignored him. I knew it was stupid. Maybe even suicidal, but I couldn't just let them have free reign of the city.

Tartarus was hopping through shadows, carrying Lethe with her. Somehow, she was able to handle being inside of her. The thought of being pulled into that dark place...trapped...

I shuddered. The very notion...

I turned my attention back to the Wards as they were touching down in front of the PRT base. I spied Miss Militia standing out front. She was approaching them quickly.

As soon as they were on the ground, they were moving. Rune...no, Orbit had stopped only long enough to collapse and collect her platform before rushing to join the others.

I touched down a distance away, in view of Miss Militia. She must have said something, because the Wards turned slightly to look at me. I could see Clockblocker and Gallant's shoulders slump slightly.

Tartarus caught wind of my actions and emerged from the shadows near me. She moved to fall in line with me, unfolding quickly to release Lethe who stumbled out.

"Woah, next time we need to keep that trip shorter." she said, moving to the other side of me.

Miss Militia moved to stand between us and the Wards, her weapon shifting to an assault rifle.

"Stop where you are." she called.

I stopped walking, holding my arms up to stop my two teammates.

"What are you doing here?" Miss Militia asked.

"You can't really have expected us to sit by in a situation like this." I said.

Miss Militia shifted slightly. "This is a volatile situation. We need to carefully consider every aspect of it. That includes the people we involve. And..."

"And you're worried. About what might happen if we get involved." I said, exasperation leaking into my voice. "You think that we might be targets. That they could...want us."

Want me...

"It's not unthinkable. There are a number of powerful Capes in this city. Lung, for instance..."

And me.

"They've killed people. They're gonna keep killing people." I said.

"If we can make a difference, you can bet your ass we're gonna go out there one way or another." Lethe added. I could see Tartarus nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Elysium." I turned my attention to the new voice. Curt, commanding...

"Armsmaster." I said. "I can't...won't stay out of this. It's too important. I won't..."

"We could lock you up. All three of you." he said. "Ensure you stay out of this fight..."

I picked up on something. The way he spoke.

"Press it." Tattletale said.

"But..." I began. He looked over my group and nodded.

"But...we've already been contacted by some other individuals who've become privy to this information."

"Villains." I said.

"Coil, to be exact. He's willing to postpone his own illegal activities until the Nine are dealt with, and he's funding Faultline's group to help us.. The ABB are quiet, which is concerning but not unexpected. New Wave is already on their way here to offer their support."

"An alliance." I said.

"You're gathering all of the power players in the city, huh?" Lethe asked.

"We called this in already. Word from on high is to work with everyone willing. If you do want to participate, we'll be assigning a Protectorate Cape to work with you at all times."

I nodded. I knew the reason was so that they could keep an eye on me, see if I tried to actively claim anyone. Still trying to figure out how my power worked.

It didn't matter. This was more important.

"We can hope that we're catching them early, that we can interrupt whatever plans they may have." Armsmaster said. I could tell that he was on edge. "No reports other than the bodies that were found, but the Think Tank is confident that this is the Nine. We try to hit them hard and fast, and take them out. We have Dragon reviewing security and traffic cameras now for any sign of them."

He paused. "Come inside, for now. We can discuss what we know and strategize."

The Wards moved first. I could tell they weren't happy about this. Miss Militia was next.

We began to move. I could tell Armsmaster wanted to say something to me, so I slowed as I walked past him.

"Don't make us regret this."

I looked down to the ground. I didn't think there was anything I could say to that.

I kept moving, heading into the building.


	36. Chapter 36

Part 30:

I touched down on the top of one of the tallest buildings in the area and looked around. There was nothing to go off of, here. No massive fires, no screaming groups of people, nothing...

"Not picking anything up?" Lethe asked, emerging from Tartarus.

"No, nothing." I said. "Why would they leave something that obviously pointed to them, and then just shrink away again?"

"They're good at hit and run tactics." Dauntless said, landing behind us. "They're not usually this quiet, but an all out assault isn't really they're style."

I nodded to him. He was our babysitter for now. His abilities let him keep up with us.

And they were fairly sure that he would be able to fight us off and get away is we turned on him.

I could think of ways to get past his defenses, if I wanted to, but I kept my mind away from those thoughts.

"So...any ideas?" I asked. He had been quiet throughout our meeting, sitting back and taking all that was said in.

A lot like what we had been doing. Though, for different reasons. We were all feeling out of our depth. He saw this as a test. One he needed to pass.

"We just need to keep looking, try to find them. And keep in touch with the others." Dauntless said.

"Meanwhile, those assholes can be out killing people all sneakily." Lethe said.

"There has to be something..." I began.

"Listen, we're doing all we can." Dauntless said. "We'll find them."

I turned to Lethe and Tartarus and nodded. "Let's keep moving."

I took off again, assuming that the others would catch up.

"Poor Dauntless." Tattletale said, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" Aegis asked. "Poor...why?"

"He's feeling the pressure of the PRT. The golden boy, a potential Endbringer killer." Tattletale said. "He's on his way to a breakdown."

"Seen it happen before." Alabaster added. "He's showing the signs alright. They expect too much of him."

"Think it'll hurt us here?" I asked.

"Hard to say. Maybe if he tries to push too hard, but...I don't really know." Tattletale said.

"Shit, I was hoping you picked up something I hadn't." I said. "But that's more or less my guess too. Hard to know if he's an advantage or a weight pulling us down."

We kept flying for a moment, until a buzzing from my communicator caused me to land. Tartarus, Lethe, and Dauntless joined me soon after.

"Any signs?" Armsmaster asked.

"Nothing on our end." Dauntless said.

"Same." Miss Militia added.

"What are they playing at?" Lady Photon asked.

I scanned the city as the conversation continued. This doesn't make sense...

"Um...T-Elysium?" Tartarus said. I turned to look at her to see her pointing. I followed her finger to see...

"Fire." I said.

"Wha-oh shit." Dauntless said.

"What is it?" Armsmaster asked.

"Fire, down at...um..."

"The Palanquin." I said.

"Burnscar?" Miss Militia asked.

"Yeah, has to be." I said.

'Everyone, start moving to the Palan-"

Armsmaster was cut off.

"Interference?" Lady Photon asked.

"No..." I said. "He was attacked."

"This is it." Dauntless said. "They're making their move. We need to..."

"Shit." Miss Militia said. "The PRT base is under attack."

"What?" Lethe asked. "Why would they attack the base? There's no one there."

"No one but Panacea." I said, looking around. "They're going after people. Faultline or one of her people, Armsmaster, Panacea..."

"Shit, we need to get together. Regroup and..."

I turned to look at Dauntless, whose hand was to his neck as he collapsed to the ground.

"What the hell?" Tartarus asked.

"Something...shit. Lethe, hide."

I turned my attention from Tartarus to Dauntless. I swapped Aegis for Othala and touched Dauntless, giving him regeneration.

"Did he get shot?"

I shook my head, but a vioce chimed in before I could speak.

"No, nothing so lethal. Just a little sleeping dart. Usually knocks people out for an hour or so. With regeneration, maybe 15 minutes?"

I turned, seeing a small robotic spider with a screen on it's back. The person on the screen was smiling.

"Jack Slash..."

"Ahh, you know me already. Good." Jack said. "That saves us a bit of time. Enjoying the show so far?"

I shook my head. "Why...?"

"You can stay where you are, girl." Jack said. I raised an eyebrow, then nearly jumped as Lethe appeared next to me.

"Caught me, huh? That sucks." she said.

"It happens. Be good, and I'll leave you unharmed. Otherwise, Bonesaw loaded plenty of darts into this. Of course, I can't guarantee that all of them are non-lethal."

"What is this, what do you..."

"You haven't figured it out? I'm surprised. Maybe we'll need to make posters for our next recruitment drive."

"Recruitment? So you are..." I paused, then narrowed my eyes. "Me, huh?"

"Of course. Such an interesting power." Jack said. "But, still so reluctant to fully use it. A shame, really. But I'm confident that we can work through it."

"I won't join." I said. "I'm not like you."

"Well, two points. One, many people say that. I assume Armsmaster is saying the same thing to Mannequin now. Same for Panacea. Secondly, how many have you killed already? We're not so different."

"She's nothing like you." Lethe said. "You kill for fun."

"And she kills for power." Jack said. "But, we'll see. I understand your hesitation, Elysium. It's why we're doing things like this. A little game, to warm you up to us."

"A game? You think...?"

"Uh uh uh, let me finish, please." Jack said. "One little game, yes. You're too focused on heroics, and it holds you back. You could be a true force by eschewing your little morals. So, I offer you a challenge. Shatterbird has already found her candidate and spoken to them, and she does get so bored while the rest of us are having fun. She's ready to...entertain herself."

"I'm fair, so I'll offer you two ways to delay that. One, is to find and claim her candidate."

"I won't just..."

"Uh uh, not finished." Jack said. "Alternatively, claim Dauntless there. Now...on our end. If you fail to accomplish either in, oh, an hour. Not only will Shatterbird attack but there will be another penalty, because you kept interrupting me. So, one life, whoever you pick, versus countless. What will you do, Elysium?"

My mouth opened, but I couldn't manage to make words come out.

"Better get moving." Jack said. With that, the screen went dark.

I looked down to Dauntless, still unconscious.

"We need to tell the others." Tartarus said.

"We need to find Shatterbird." Lethe added.

"We...I..."

"Or...who could her candidate be?"

"I...don't know."

I have no idea what to do.


	37. Chapter 37

Part 31:

I could feel my hand twitch. This was...

This was bad.

"You didn't get anything from that?" Lethe asked.

"Nothing useful. Jack...he's set up this impossible choice. He knows I won't claim Dauntless, but I have no clue who Shatterbird would have nominated." I said.

"Then go after her. Can you find her?"

"I...I don't know. There's not much to go off of, and...shit." I said. "Who would she have picked? I don't know enough about her to even guess..."

"We need to make a decision here." Lethe said.

I looked at her. She was right, but...

"Okay. Okay, yeah." I said. I looked down at Dauntless. I would need to keep Othala out for now to keep her regenerative power active.

"Having a tough time, bitch?" she asked me, hate filling every syllable.

That wasn't going to help here.

"How did they even get him with that dart? He should have been protected, right?" Tartarus asked.

"His shield...it's not passive. He needs to apply it." I said. "Not the point. This is bad."

"No shit." Lethe said.

"No, you don't..." I sighed. "They're cutting us off, making us fight separately. If I had to guess...one of them probably went after someone in each major group."

"Really?"

I sighed. "Maybe? Again, not enough info. We know Armsmaster, Panacea, and someone from Faultline's group were attacked. Are being attacked. Not by Shatterbird, though. We'd know if she was attacking them."

"So, you think the other groups are getting the same treatment?"

"Maybe..." I said. "Probably, but I'm not 100% sure. But either way, we shouldn't really count on...backup..."

"What?" Tartarus asked. "What is it?"

I nodded to myself. "Um, don't worry about it."

"You have a plan!" Lethe said, jumping up and down.

"Yes, okay, I do." I said. "Tartarus, the PRT building is still in your range. Take Dauntless and bring him there, see if you can help Panacea."

She nodded, unfolding and releasing her tendrils to pull the sleeping man in. "But, the heroes said..."

"Things have changed. We need to deal with things as they come. When he wakes up, tell him to track me down with my communicator."

Tartarus finished pulling the man in, then nodded. She walked over to the nearest shadow and sank in.

"Lethe, I need you to go and try to find the others. Start with Armsmaster, since we know he's in trouble."

"And leave you alone?"

"I'll be fine. I'm gonna try and get some more help." I said. "But if Armsmaster dies, then..."

Lethe looked down, then nodded. "Fine, but you better not get yourself killed. I'm not gonna be the one explaining to your dad what happened to you."

"I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look."

And hopefully I won't be going alone.

I turned around, taking in the city. Smoke was still rising from the Palanquin. I needed to keep Othala out, I didn't want to go without Alabaster right now. For all I knew, one of the Nine could be waiting around a corner to take me out. But that meant...

"I know, it's cool." Tattletale said. "Swap me out for now. But...try to think critically. Jack's playing mind games with you. You need to be aware of that."

I nodded, then cast her aside for Aegis and took off into the air. I hated this. Being without Tattletale's power left me feeling so...muddled. Like losing my glasses.

Once I had risen away from the building, I pulled out my phone and went to the contact that was saved to it.

"Elysium. We weren't expecting to hear from you so soon." The Doctor said.

Was that a lie. I knew they were more aware than they let on, but...

Shit, I missed Tattletale's power already.

"The Nine." I said. "They're attacking Brockton Bay. I need help."

I was met with silence. I nearly repeated myself, but she spoke at the last moment. "Yes, we're aware. If you'd like, we can evacuate you and your team, and..."

"What?" I asked, appalled. "No, I...we need to fight them. We can't just let them..."

"Elysium, the Nine are a dangerous element. One that we do not feel that we can condone fighting at this time. We believe it would be in your best interest to leave the city until they have vacated."

"No, I...let me talk to Alexandria. Or Eidolon, or...anyone. They need to help, or..."

"If any of them enter the city, then matters will escalate. Bonesaw has made precautions against their interference and announced them when she entered the Brockton Bay PRT building."

I landed on a building and began pacing. "So...what about the others. Your less flashy members. The Number Man, Contessa, anyone. We can't..."

"There are...certain mitigating factors that keep The Number Man from interfering, and Contessa is..." another pause. "Otherwise engaged, at the moment."

"They're trying to recruit me." I said. "That'll throw a wrench in our partnership, you know."

"Which is why the offer to evacuate you and your team still stands. The Nine would be unable to touch you while you were here with us."

"But they would still be here, killing people. People who need us to protect them."

Another pause. Was she discussing this with someone? Receiving guidance?

"I can understand your point, but..."

"But...but nothing!" I said. "People are dying out here, the Nine...they're psycopaths. We need to stop them, not evacuate!" I paused, and it hit me. "Wait, your...Doormaker. He can open a portal to anywhere, right? I just..."

"I'm afraid that we can not allow the Doormaker to come to harm. He's too essential to our organization. Allowing any member of the nine near him would be far too risky."

"I...I need something here." I pleaded. "They're picking us apart already, and..."

"If you were to agree to evacuation, then we could plan and..."

I let out another growl and crushed the phone, tossing the pieces to the side. How could they just expect me to abandon my city, to let who knew how many people die?

I paced a few times on the roof, trying to compose myself. I had spent...5 minutes, so far. I had 55 left to try and find Shatterbird, or...

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm disappointed." I turned quickly to see another spider robot with a screen attached to it climbing over the side of the building, showing Jack reclining on a seat. The room he was in was featureless. I swapped Aegis for Tattletale, and began looking for something.

Mannequin built the room...chamber...whatever, that he's in. It completely encases him, hides any notable scenery.

Jack's shirt is slightly wet. He's been near the water recently...that's only about half of the city...

"Trying to cheat in our little game by bringing in ringers? And here I thought you were trying to be a hero."

while scowling at the man. "I am a hero. And you're just having that thing follow me?"

Jack rocked his hand back and forth. "Sure, you claim to be a hero, but then you cheat at a game? Which, incidentally, is why this is necessary. I had a feeling you would try something." he said, standing up. "In any case, as the game master here, I would be remiss if I didn't do my damnedest to try and cut back on cheating."

I narrowed my eyes. "Like you're planning on playing fair?"

"Ah, but I'm a villain. It's expected that I cheat. So, what's a fitting punishment?" He tapped his chin with a knife a few times, then gasped as though struck by inspiration. "I know! We'll dock you time. 30 minutes in total, leaving you...23 minutes to either claim Dauntless or Shatterbird's candidate."

I felt a pit form in my stomach. "You...you can't..."

"Oh, but I can. Now, I suggest you get moving. Only 20 some odd minutes to scour an entire city? Doesn't seem like much."

I clenched my teeth and let out a growl. He was pushing harder, trying to break me. This was life and death for countless people, but it was actually a game to him.

"You wanna play, Jack? Fine..." I said, swapping Tattletale for Hookwolf. "Let's play."

With that, I let my blade form burst out of me, adopting the shape of a large cat. I leapt from the building and down to the street and started running.

I still had no idea who Shatterbird could have nominated. It could have been another hero to fuck with them, could have been a villain that she actually thought would be a good fit. If I had time to research, I was sure I could figure it out with Tattletale's power.

With only 20 minutes? There was no way.

I ran through the city as fast as I could, looking for any sign of the maniac. I even made my way to the Palanquin, but by the time I showed up, Burnscar was gone.

After 10 minutes, I received word that Dauntless had woken up, and I was able to swap Othala for Tattletale, which afforded me extra clarity and less screaming in my head.

And I began to think things through.

Two members had gone after heroes. Panacea and Armsmaster. Who would go after them?

Their team...Jack had chosen me. Burnscar someone from Faultline's crew. That left Bonesaw...

It clicked, Bonesaw had gone after Panacea. A corrupt healer trying to corrupt another healer. It made sense.

By that same logic, I figured that Mannequin may have been the one to target Armsmaster. A fallen Tinker trying to take another with him? That fit too.

That left...the Siberian? No clue who she'd picked. She never talked, was seemingly invincible, had managed to fight off the Triumvirate, kill Hero...

Shit, I have no idea. Crawler, too. A regenerator who becomes stronger when he gets hurt? Would he...pick someone who could hurt him? Definitely. Who could even come close?

Dauntless came to mind, but he had been with me until he had been knocked out, and Tartarus would have called me if something happened to him. I didn't think any of the Wards could come close to hurting him. Neither could Coil, with what I knew of his abilities.

A member of the ABB? Lung came to mind. He could, probably, grow strong enough to hurt Crawler. Bakuda, there newest member, was a bomb Tinker. Could she make something that could hurt him? She had been pretty quiet, so it was hard to know for sure...

"I think she could, given the proper motivation." Tattletale said. "Tinkers are versatile, and one who makes bombs? Yikes."

"Oni Lee is an option, too...but I don't think so." I said. "So...we can assume that Crawler picked Lung. That leaves the Siberian, Hatchet Face, and Shatterbird. Even if one of them targeted a Ward, two would still need to double back and choose from the same group."

"Yeah, with no real sign of who could have chosen who." Tattletale said. "Shit, we really need to start researching any possible opponent ahead of time. Of course we should have looked up the Nine."

I started moving again, running as fast as I could. I searched for any sign of any member of the Nine. I even passed the Palanquin, but Burnscar had gone. All that was left were the people putting out her fires.

As I came down to the last five minutes, I shifted back to my human shape, gasping not from exertion, but from agitation.

"How...could they really have finished already?" I asked.

"If they were just trying to deliver messages, or kill people. Probably." Tattletale said.

"They have a lot of experience." Hookwolf said. "They're more or less murdering experts."

"Look who's talking." Tattletale said.

"Hey, leave him alone. He was waging a crusade against the inferior races, and..."

I tuned them out. I...couldn't find any sign of any of them. I had covered about a third of the city, but...nothing.

"I...I can't..."

"Aww, can't find Shatterbird?" Jack asked, a spider robot crawling out of the alley behind me. I turned to it, growling and allowing my arm to transform into a mess of blades. Jack was smirking. "I mean, I applaud you for thinking outside the box and trying to eliminate the problem at it's core, even if that was the obvious answer, but...it was doomed to fail."

I squinted at him, then it hit me and my eyes widened. "She's with you..." I said.

"All of them are, now. We've delivered our messages, and reconnected. We're perfectly safe."

I tried. I took the entire scene in, tried to get anything out of it with Tattletale's power. But, in the end, she mirrored my sentiment.

"I've still got nothing. I have no clue where he is..."

"Now, don't you wish that you had just claimed Dauntless when you had the chance? I mean, he was right there. This could have been over and done with." Jack said. "But, you had to stick to your morals and try to convince everyone else that you were a hero. But...would a hero decide that one life, even the life of another hero, was worth however many that Shatterbird can kill with her song?"

I shook my head. "Shut up. I know what you're doing..."

"Of course you do. You're a smart girl. You just get a bit...hung up on things. Like this hero complex of yours. And the sad thing is, no matter what you do, the Protectorate will never see you as a hero. You'll always be Elysium, second coming of the Faerie Queen."

"Shut up!" I said. "You're trying to manipulate me, and..."

"No, I'm just trying to get you to see that labels don't matter. Right now, you're afraid to let loose with your power because you don't want to be labeled a villain. It's to the point that you're willing to sacrifice hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives to hold onto that title that you'll never earn."

I shook my head harder. "Just...just shut up!" I said, practically screaming. I pointed my bladed arm at the monitor. "I will smash that thing if I need to. And I swear, I'll hunt you all down and..."

I heard a buzzing coming from the spider, and felt the pit in my stomach deepen.

"Oh, and it appears that we are out of time." Jack said. "Such a shame. Though, it's probably for the best that you failed. Shatterbird headed out a few minutes ago to get into position, and it would have been so embarrassing to have you succeed just for the same massacre to occur."

She was out? Somewhere in the city? That meant that I could...

Jack sighed, and fell back into his chair. "I'm also glad that I don't need to feel bad about going ahead with my other punishment. You know, for your earlier rudeness. I decided to take care of that while you were running around the city. So, if you had claimed Dauntless or managed to find Shatterbird's candidate...Lung, by the way. Well, boy would my face have been red."

He was building toward something, I could tell. I just couldn't quite grasp it yet. I clung to those words, though. Barely registering that he admitted Lung was her candidate. Ignoring that I had been wrong.

"Well, you may have failed this challenge, but I think we're in a good place to keep going. I'll be talking to you soon..."

My eyes widened and the feeling of dread that I had been fighting intensified 100 fold as Jack spoke his last words. Four words hit me harder than anything I had experienced since becoming a Cape. Information was flooding into my brain.

His punishment...

I saw the screen on the spider crack. Windows around me followed suit. Within a moment, I was caught in a whirlwind of glass.

My flesh was cut away, revealing the swirling mass of blades beneath. Every 4 seconds, my skin would heal, only to be cut away again.

I ignored it. I was lost in my thoughts. I wasn't even able to consider my teammates, the other heroes...

The countless innocent people who had surely died and been critically injured.

No, as I climbed to my feet and turned, there was only one thing on my mind.

I started running, heading toward my home. Jack's final 4 words echoing in my ears.

"Take care, Taylor Hebert."


	38. Chapter 38

Interlude - Contessa:

A giant fist smashed into the side of Armsmaster's head. The damage to the man would be minimal, but his communication device was damaged by the attack.

Mannequin, his body altered to appear more gorilla like than human wound up another punch. Armsmaster was able to launch a grappling hook, however, and pull himself out of the way.

Once to his feet, Armsmaster activated his halberd's special property, the nanothorns that he had used on Leviathan. Mannequin tried to jump away, but was too slow with the battle armor. The blade sliced through the arm in one swift motion. As soon as the attack was concluded, he was already launching another, striking toward the madman's chest.

He connected, slightly. A small cut appeared, only to be sealed with a strange material. A gas that turned crystalline when exposed to air.

Mannequin, in response, disengaged the massive arms, revealing his normal ones beneath. His right shifted into a blade, and he moved with alarming speed toward the Protectorate leader. The man had opted to go alone, allowing Miss Militia to oversee the Wards, Assault and Battery to travel as a pair, and Velocity to gather intel on his own.

Dauntless, of course, was watching over Elysium and her teammates.

"Are you...certain that this is the best course of action?" Doctor Mother asked.

"You've not questioned me in some time."

"This...could go badly."

Contessa nodded. She had thought the same, herself.

Her eyes wandered to another screen. Bonesaw, inside the PRT building. The reanimated Hatchet Face alongside her. Even with the two of them in play, it would be simple...

A door into the building, shoot from this side to remove Hatchet Face. Move in on Bonesaw and incapacitate her in 4 steps. After that, all she would need to do would be to decide whether to kill or try to reform the little girl turned monster.

She assumed that she would have been horrified by what the young Tinker was doing, releasing a plague that was causing the flesh to melt off of the PRT agents, had she not already witnessed far worse over the course of her life.

She had been the cause of a number of those events. The negative reactions to Vials came to mind. The extreme deviations.

The girl would talk to Panacea, try to convince her to join, but she would be unharmed for the time being.

She turned to the next screen. Crawler toying with some leftovers from the local gangs that had been wiped out. He was aimless, for the moment. Simply trying to have a good time until being called back. He didn't have a major role in this part of Jack Slash's play. Not like Cherish, their newest member, who needed to locate their targets.

She didn't have a camera on Jack, Cherish, and Shatterbird directly. She didn't need to, though. She already knew what they were doing. Jack was speaking to Elysium through a camera and one of Bonesaw's spider drones. Cherish was keeping track of their targets.

Shatterbird was relaxing. She had visited Lung an hour earlier, delivered her message. She was waiting for her opportunity to stretch her power.

Even they could be stopped easily enough. The Clairvoyant could see them, no matter where they were. She could open a door, kill Cherish, incapacitate Shatterbird, and then turn her attention to Jack.

They would have the benefit of ensuring Shatterbird's survival then. Another powerful Cape for the final battle. But...that plan came with it's own issues.

And, if her information was correct, which she knew it was, she needed to stay hands off until the right moment.

-Three days Prior-

She sat in the chair, back to the door, ensuring that she wouldn't be seen upon the owner's initial entry.

She heard the door open and close quickly.

She allowed her power to guide her, spinning at just the right moment to grab his attention.

"Coil..."

"You!" Coil said, clearly surprised.

"Me." Contessa said, standing up. She felt the words come to her as they had many times before. She had long ago learned to deal with Coil. "Don't bother, Coil. It won't work." she said.

The man stiffened for a moment, then sighed. "I take it..." he said carefully. "That this is concerning my...repayment."

Contessa nodded.

"And what is it that I can do for you?" he asked, hatred dripping from his words. "If you wish to pursue a week of service, I must admit that my plans have reached something of a crucial stage, and..."

"20 minutes with your precog." Contessa said. "Allow me that, don't listen in, and your debt is considered repaid."

The man looked Contessa over, then nodded. "Very well..." he said. "I haven't asked her any questions today, so you should have access to her fully."

"I'm aware." Contessa said.

"I can call my assistant to..."

"No need." she said, already walking out the door. She navigated the halls as though she had a thousand times before, finding the young girl's room quickly.

"Candy?" the girl asked, not even looking up from her pillow.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Alcott."

The sound of her voice roused the girl, who struggled to sit up and look at her. When she did, she looked a bit crestfallen.

"You're not her..." Dinah said.

Contessa raised an eyebrow, and she asked her power to supply her the information she needed. "Ahh, you mean Elysium. No, I am not your rescuer."

Dinah opened her mouth, then closed it, seeming to chew over her words. "You...could be, though."

Contessa nodded.

"But you won't, because..."

"You already know why, Dinah." Contessa said. "It improves your numbers, doesn't it?"

Dinah nodded, then looked to the floor.

"I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."

"You...you know things like I do. You know about the numbers. Why would you need me?" Dinah asked.

"My own power has certain...limitations. The question that I need answered falls within one of these limitations." Contessa said, pulling a couple of pictures out of her pocket. "You need to know the faces of specific people in order to answer questions about them, yes? I'd like you to look at these."

Dinah reached up and took the pictures, and a flash of recognition crossed her face. "I know her..." she said, pointing to one of the pictures.

"Yes, I'd imagine you do." Contessa said. "As you are aware, she has a...problem. We believe that, with her power, the man in the other picture could help her. Could you supply a number?"

Dinah studied the pictures, then nodded. "68.132% chance that a clone of that man could help."

"You know of the clones?" Contessa asked, reaching out and taking the pictures back.

"He asked me. Panacea, mostly. It always turned out bad, though."

Contessa nodded. She had gotten the answer she wanted, and yet she had asked for 20 minutes. She hadn't thought to look ahead until now, but...

"Something happens, you know?" Dinah asked.

"Oh?" Contessa asked.

"Something to her. To Elysium. The number has been going up. The odds of her...not saving me. Either leaving me here, or..."

Or claiming you.

"Do you know what it is?" Contessa asked. It was a question for both the girl and her power. Dinah shook her head.

Her power, though, rarely answered negatively.

"The Slaughterhouse Nine, then." she said. "Already in the city. The danger that you're forseeing must be Jack Slash getting his hands on her. I'll need to take steps to..."

"Wait!" Dinah said. "I...I've run the numbers every day, tried to figure this out, and...if you try to stop whatever it is too early, the other number, the really bad one...it becomes worse."

Contessa narrowed her eyes. Jack's intervention...somehow increased the odds of Elysium contributing positively to the final battle?

"But, if it goes on too long, then my own odds go down, and eventually the end number becomes worse too."

Contessa let out a breath, and reflected on this information. Jack was to be a...catalyst for something involving Elysium. Something that could make her more suited to the final battle. But, if he was allowed to influence her for too long, then she could fall victim to him, become a member of the Nine.

"I believe that I may need to ask a few more questions, Miss Alcott."

-Present Day-

In the end, she had taken up the entire 20 minutes and pushed the girl to her limit. Coil had been angry, but he was in no position to fight her.

She knew his fate, though. He could enjoy his faux-safety for now. He was but another stepping stone for Elysium. Another necessary hurdle.

Contessa heard the phone ring, just when she knew it would. The Doctor answered.

She turned her attention away from the monitors.

The Doctor would be looking to her for guidance. She needed the right things to say to reach the desired outcome.

An offer to evacuate the girl and her team. One that they knew would never be accepted.

An excuse as to why the Triumvirate would not be able to assist. While true, Bonesaw's plague's could be dealt with. It wasn't such a hurdle that they would consider it insurmountable. In the moment, though, the answer would suffice.

Another excuse, touting the Doormaker's usefulness. This was truer than the last. The off chance that the Doormaker may be caught in some sort of attack was troubling. Though, there was no need for him to be anywhere near the doors he opened thanks to the Clairvoyant.

Of course, Elysium didn't know that.

In the end, the girl smashed her phone in her rage.

The Doctor hung up the phone.

"I'm...hesitant to say that this was the right choice." she said. "We've been waiting so long for someone like her, and..."

"And we'll have her." Contessa said. "But a stronger her, in some manner. I'm unsure of the details, but..."

"I know. I recall." The Doctor said. "I'm hesitant to speculate what the outcome of this will be. If she becomes too unwieldy, or if she grows beyond the scope of your Path, then..."

"Let me worry about that." Contessa said. "We'll wait for the right time, and then I'll move in. We'll ensure that she survives this day and doesn't fall into the Nine's grasp. And then we can worry about smoothing over whatever occurs in the next few moments."

The Doctor looked to a monitor that was displaying the girl's blade form running through a street.

Contessa sighed. As much as she was choosing to display confidence, she was concerned. While she could view the events necessary, she could never be certain how a second trigger would affect someone.

"We should go check on our guests. See how they're recovering." Contessa said.

"Of course."

Contessa didn't need the monitors to know when to act. Her power would supply that information.

Still, she cast one last glance at the monitors before leaving the room. She looked upon the monitor displaying Elysium, their newest ally. She had done many things, justified many actions over her years, but watching that girl running home, knowing what she would find...she thought words that she had managed to keep out of her mind for so long.

 _I'm sorry..._


	39. Chapter 39

Part 32:

I touched down in front of my house, still trying to deny what I already knew to be true. My ghosts had been silent, letting me wallow in my thoughts.

When I looked and saw our front door had been damaged, cut apart...

"Oh, Taylor..." Tattletale said. "Listen..."

I shook my head, forcing myself to walk forward. As soon as I stepped inside, I was flooded with information.

Blood was all over the carpet. Limited signs of a struggle.

My breathing quickened as I scanned the room. All I needed was something, some hint...

"Oh shit..." Aegis said. "Look."

My eyes fell to the floor, and I gasped.

"Is that...?" Alabaster asked.

"Oh God..." I said, looking down. It was obvious now where the blood had come from. Sitting on the floor was my dad's arm, cut off from just above the elbow.

I could feel the color drain from my face.

"Taylor...hey..." Tattletale said. "Look, it's...this is...it could be worse. Just his arm? That means..."

"He might still be alive..." I said. "I...or Bonesaw has him, and..."

"Let's not think about that." Aegis said. "It might not have come to that."

"The Nine don't take hostages..." Alabaster said.

"Unless they want something..." Tattletale said.

I pushed back the hood of my costume and ran my hands through my hair. "I should have...should have been able to see this coming. Should have known they would come after my dad. I should have had Cauldron take him, or...?"

"There were no hints for this." Tattletale said. "He didn't give anything away that suggested he knew your identity."

I shook my head. I knew that, of course. But still, this was my fault. Dad was...

I turned and stepped outside, not bothering to pull my hood back up. As I left the house, I saw one of the robotic spiders approaching. The screen on top unfolding. "Well, you're certainly fast enough when you want to be. I guess all of the lives on the line from Shatterbird's song wasn't enough motivation for you." Jack said, smirking on the screen. He had exited the chamber he was in. Information flooded in. He was in a warehouse, judging by the state it was in, definitely one by the docks. "A shame, too. I would have so enjoyed seeing your reaction. You have been inside, right?"

"Where is he?!" I asked. "Did...did she...did you...?"

Jack chuckled. "Ahh, you're wondering if Bonesaw got her hands on him. No, not yet." he said. "He's taken care of, for now. How long he stays that way is up to you. I wonder...is your father's life worth playing by our games?"

I glared at him, but he pressed on. "Now, let's see. We have to up the stakes, otherwise it's just not worth it. So, how about you use your power to claim either the entire Wards team or your two partners?"

"You can't really expect..."

"Oh, but I do." Jack said. "Of course, you're welcome to abstain. It will, however, be your father paying the price."

"How do I even know you have him? That he's still alive?"

"Ahh, right. Of course." Jack said, shaking his head. "I nearly forgot." At that, the camera panned, showing my dad tied to a chair. His arm that had been severed ended in a strange device.

No signs of any...modifications.

"See, I'm a man of my word. No more injury than you already knew about." Jack said. "How long that remains true depends on you, but...let's see. We need to establish some rules. What's a game without rules? So, I'll give you half an hour. I'll add 10 minutes for each Ward you collect, and 20 for each of your teammates. That's taking into account how far from each other they're likely to be. I think that's fair."

Another impossible choice.

"Oh, and in case you're planning on coming after us, since I'm sure you've gathered our rough location by now, well...needless to say, your old man would suffer for that decision." Jack said. "Well, I'll leave you to it. But don't worry, I'll talk to you soon enough."

The screen went black, and the spider walked away. I watches as it wandered off. I could have destroyed it, taken some small victory over Jack.

It wasn't worth it though. It wouldn't help.

I knew where the Nine was, but if I went after them...they would kill him.

But I also knew the truth. This was Jack's game. He would push me, hold my dad as collateral until he couldn't anymore, or until he grew bored of him. Then he would take someone else. He probably hoped I would take the Wards, leaving Lethe and Tartarus for him to torment.

He would take everything he could from me. I could stop it, but the only way to guarantee it would be to sacrifice my dad. And probably other people. I wasn't stupid enough to think that Jack and the Nine would go down easily.

Or...I could play Jack's game. Try and wait for a better opportunity to take them down...

But I would have to sacrifice others. And while I wanted to say that it was an easy choice, that I couldn't be that selfish, weigh many lives against one...

But after losing mom, feeling that pain...? I wasn't sure I could handle it.

But...

I shook my head. This was...I couldn't decide...

I needed help, needed to...

"Taylor, listen, we can think of something. We just have to sit and..." Tattletale began.

"No, there's no time. If I don't do something and soon, then Jack will take the decision away from me. He'll kill dad, kill Aisha and Emma, kill everyone..."

"You need to just stay calm. If you go and talk to the others, then we can work something out. The Protectorate can help." Aegis said.

I shook my head. "Not in time, I need to..."

Alabaster started talking, but I wasn't listening. I couldn't focus on him.

I needed to think, needed some way to solve this.

He's going to take everyone from me...going to keep pushing until I'm like the rest of his group of psychos...

I felt myself fall to my knees, trying to think of something, some way to beat Jack at his own game. But I just couldn't...he was always one step ahead of me. If only...

If only I could...


	40. Chapter 40

Part 33:

I opened my eyes, didn't even realize that they had closed.

I also didn't realize that I had fallen completely to the ground. Did I pass out?

I glanced back, my ghosts looked out of sorts as well.

Alabaster Refreshes every 4.3 seconds, slight thinker ability linked to repairing mechanical devices and Aegis Redundant biology, flight, ability to ignore physical pain seemed to be fairing worse.

Tattletale Discovery, analysis seemed mostly recovered already, and was looking at me warily.

"Taylor? Are you alright?" she asked.

I stayed silent, pushing myself off of the ground. I was already piecing things together. I had been out for about a minute. Not too long, luckily.

My mind wandered to Jack. His little game was still going. He was still trying to play me.

He thought he was better than me. Smarter than me. Thought that he could push me into doing what he wanted.

I clenched my fists a few times. He was...a psychopath, a glorified thug. He had spent years, decades lashing out against those above him. I needed some way to show him his place, show him I was superior.

He had dad...and I knew that he wouldn't just let him go. He was a bargaining chip to Jack, something to use to push me into doing what he pleased.

Because I was strong. Too hard for him to break directly. He needed to find other venues.

"Taylor, you coming up with something?" Tattletale asked.

I hated it, but I knew the truth. Biding my time, hoping for the right moment to act...it wouldn't work. I couldn't see any way to accomplish all my goals. I couldn't save dad, the Wards, and my teammates. I needed to make a sacrifice somewhere. And...

And dad was already in their clutches...

I could feel tears forming, tried to blink them away.

"Oh...Taylor, listen, we can..."

I shook my head. "No, it...there's no other way. Jack's trying to do to me what he's done to countless others. I...I won't let him. He thinks he's able to outsmart me..." An angry grin worked it's way to my lips. "I'll show him whose smarter, here."

Tattletale's eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to speak.

I shot into the sky, ignoring her words. They wouldn't help. She couldn't hide things from me any easier than I could from her. We both knew that this was the best option. She was just trying to...

Make me feel better, probably. It wouldn't help.

I flew to the docks as quickly as I could. An idle thought had me wondering if I should go get Lethe and Tartarus, try to have backup.

One part of me really wanted that. With coordination, backup...I would have felt better.

But they would have just been two more pieces for Jack to use against me. And, while I still hated Emma...I wasn't going to throw her to the wolves for no reason.

No, it would be better to do this alone.

Once I reached the docks, I started scanning, looking for anything out of place. I couldn't see anything, though.

Touching down, I switched Aegis out for Hookwolf. I could feel hesitation drain from me as his power took hold. I would tear all of these warehouses apart if I needed to. Jack wanted to play games? I was going to show him what kind of games a true warrior could play.

I shifted my arm into a mass of blades, ready to carve open the side of one of the buildings when a gunshot rang out. Tattletale's power kicked in, letting me know where it came from. About a block north. And something about it seemed...

"As good a place to start as any." I said, shifting fully into my feline blade form. I ran toward the noise.  
"You shouldn't just run in. You need a plan. We might still be able to save your dad." Tattletale said.

I kept moving. Found the building that the shot had come from. The window that had been hit was shattered, glass all over the ground.

It started moving, jumping from the ground toward me. It struck my blades, doing nothing.

I charged at the wall, taking it down easily with my mass. Inside, I saw them.

Shatterbird Large scale silicokinesis, incredibly fine control, Burnscar Pyrokinesis, flame based teleportation, immunity to damage from flames, Hatchet Face Power nullification, enhanced strength, (Hatchet Face is dead, reanimated by Bonesaw, power still active), Crawler Near instant regeneration, adaptive regeneration, Mannequin Tinker, specialty: Enclosed systems,Bonesaw Tinker, Specialty: Bio-engineering, A girl I didn't recognize Ability to sense emotions at a long range, fine control allowing her to pick out specific individuals, short range emotional control...

I shook my head a bit. So much information was flooding in, and not all from Tattletale's power. It reminded me of when I first met Aisha, when I pushed my own sight, and was able to discern her power...

Something I had stopped doing, in light of having Tattletale. Her power usually fed me what I needed to know before my own could.

But now, it was acting in overdrive. Telling me things instantly. As I looked again, I was filled with more information.

Burnscar's power effects her emotional state. Removes remorse and fills her with positive emotions as she creates and controls more fire. Crawler has an innate desire to grow more powerful, more resilient.

I shook my head, turned toward the remaining two. The Siberian Projection, ability to alter physics concerning itself and those it touches, and Jack Projection of blade edges, connection to others with powers. Innately receives and sends information to other Parahumans.

My eyes widened slightly at that. Jack could...

"Well, Elysium. I wasn't quite expecting you to come here. I thought your father's life meant more to you than that." Jack said. He cast a quick glance behind him, at a large white sphere. I knew instantly, thanks to Tattletale, that that was where he had been broadcasting from. And, that was where my dad currently was. It was large enough for two people, at least. Maybe even three. It made sense. Jack may have had one of the other members of the Nine working the camera. Or, maybe it was just one of those spiders and he just liked having the room. "Like it? Mostly Mannequin's work, though Bonesaw did add a few small touches."

I looked to Hatchet Face. Tattletale's power was also able to tip me off, especially when combined with my own, how far his range went. I was currently just out of it. If I took a step in, I 'd be powerless.

"Now, I did tell you the rules, right? Come after us, and Mr. Hebert pays the price. I'm a man of my word, so..." he reached up and pressed a button on the side of the device. A low hiss started coming from it.

"I had Bonesaw whip up something special for this. The virus that's currently pumping into that chamber is designed to peel a person away, one layer at a time. And, it keeps them alive until the very last moment possible."

"Jack! That's not even close to a good explanation." Bonesaw said. "It's so much more intricate than that. It starts with..."

"Not now, Bonesaw. I'm sure Elysium really doesn't care for the specifics. Now, I know you're probably hatching some plan..."

Of course he knew. With that second power of his...

Then I realized...he didn't even know. He thought he was just that good at dealing with Capes.

"We are immune to the virus. breaking the container may give you a good show, but it won't hurt us. Plus, once it's in someone's system, it's very difficult to remove it. Even a healer would have a tough time with it."

"It works faster if it detects regeneration." Bonesaw said. "Crawler helped me figure out how to do that, until he became immune..."

I glanced back to the sphere, then to Hatchet Face. He was the main obstacle. Jack had likely set it up this way...

Why don't I have a blaster power?

I shifted back to my normal form, cast Hookwolf and Tattletale aside for Grue and Night. This would be my best chance to get past Hatchet Face.

I allowed my darkness to bellow out, felt myself shift into Night's monstrous form.

I could see the Nine reacting through the darkness, Jack's face shifting. Probably in response to me changing powers. Gathering together...

The Siberian carrying Bonesaw to Jack. Extending her...it's invincibility to both of them and the sphere.

My heart dropped. The last opportunity that I could see...

I'm so sorry, dad...

I started to move forward. If he was going to die, then...then I needed to make sure it counted for something. It was killing me that I couldn't protect him, but...

I could make sure his killers paid.

After a few steps, I saw something. A portal opening just to my right. Into a van, parked near another warehouse.

I could see the line connecting him to the Siberian.

Now they help? I wondered, looking at the portal. One of Cauldron's.

I growled, but hurried through. One of my bladed appendages pierced the man's side before he even knew I was there. I tugged on his power, felt it flow into me.

The portal closed, and then was quickly replaced by another. This one was behind the Nine, outside of my darkness.

I stepped through. The rest of them were reacting to the Siberian's disappearance. Jack turned to look at me as soon as I was through.

"Bonesaw..." he said, staring at me coldly. "How about you let hatchet face have his fun?"

The girl, looking a bit shaken, nodded. She removed a remote and pressed a few buttons, and Hatchet Face began to move toward me.

I swapped Night back to Tattletale, beginning to step back. Need to stay out of his range...

As I moved, I swapped Grue for the Siberian and summoned her. A couple of the Nine seemed surprised. Crawler and Bonesaw, mostly.

I sent the Siberian out, had her cut Hatchet Face down at the legs. Her arms passed through him easily. I had her do the same to his arms.

"We pull back." Jack said. He still looked confused. I smiled at that. My shifting powers were confusing him, feeding his own power different information from moment to moment. Keeping him unsure of how to act.

The Nine began moving toward the hole that I made when I entered. Crawler stood between me and the rest.

"Hey, Crawler." I yelled. Both he and Jack stopped, looking at me. "You want to get stronger, right? I bet you were mainly sticking around the Nine in the hopes that the Siberian would fight you one day. Well, how about now?" I asked.

Crawler glanced to Jack, then let out a low, bellowing laugh. He took a few steps toward me. Jack tried to speak, but couldn't be heard over the creature's footsteps.

After a moment, Jack turned and left us. I had the Siberian toss Hatchet Face's body to the side, keeping it out of our way, and then approach Crawler.

There was something in his eyes, a longing. Like a child on Christmas who saw the present that he had been asking for all year. He practically licked his lips as he stared at the Siberian.

It was almost sad, really. Especially considering that he failed to notice my approach. Reaching up, I touched him on his tail and pulled his power away. His massive form collapsed to the ground, the smile still on his face.

I had the Siberian approach the sphere as I approached Hatchet Face. I claimed his power, careful to keep out of the cone of his power.

The Siberian reached up, touched the sphere. I could have her cut it open, see if there was even the slightest chance...

But...I couldn't do it. Couldn't bring myself to watch helplessly as my father died. If Jack was telling the truth, and I had no reason to believe that the psycho was lying about this particular torture, then there was nothing I could do. Enough time had passed that he would be thoroughly infected, and Othala's healing wouldn't help...

I turned, shaking slightly as I did, and saw another portal. A few hard breaths, and I forced myself through it.

I was in an alley, and I could hear voices. As I emerged, I could see Jack, the girl I didn't recognize, and Mannequin aimed toward me. The others were turning toward me as well.

"Tenacious..." Jack said. "See, this is why you'd do so well with us."

"Shut up." I said.

Jack frowned slightly, then nodded. "Very well. Mannequin, if you would?"

Mannequin stepped forward, an act which left cracks in the ground with each step. A quick analysis told me that this armor he was wearing was combat oriented.

I thought for a moment, running over my powers, and something came to me.

I cast them all away, Brought out Hatchet Face, Aegis, and Crawler.

I looked at them. Aegis was surprised to see the other two. Crawler was growling, and Hatchet Face...

I wasn't sure if he was actually all there. He was standing, shaking his head, but...

I turned away from them. It didn't matter. If he was braindead, then that was one less distraction. Now, though. I could show Mannequin what it was like to be hunted.

Make him pay for hurting innocent people.

Show him my own strength, and grow stronger...

I stopped advancing, shaking my head. All of those thoughts...

A blade pierced my chest, forcing a scream from me and snapping my attention back to Mannequin. I grabbed the blade, used Hatchet Face's strength to push it out. It healed as soon as it was removed.

So did the cuts on my hand.

I looked at my opponent, activated Hatchet Face's primary power.

He staggered, knowledge of all of his inventions leaving him. I grinned, approaching.

And as I did, I flexed my muscles in my arms. Taking advantage of Aegis' power, I pushed them beyond what they were capable of, even with Hatchet Face's strength. I felt them snap with each flex.

And then they reformed, stronger than they had been.

By the time I reached Mannequin, I could feel the difference. I reached up, cupped his upper arm.

I squeezed, and it cracked. My squeezing caused my muscles to snap and reform again. Another squeeze, and it cracked completely...

Empty.

I reached for his left leg, squeezed what would have been his thigh.

It shattered easily, and I felt the organs that he had hidden there. One of the few biological parts that were left of him.

I tugged his power away, and he collapsed. I kicked his shell to the side and looked around. The others had taken advantage of the distraction and left.

Another portal appeared, and I didn't hesitate. I stepped through and was placed immediately in the Nine's path.

Burnscar and Shatterbird stepped forward. Before I could fully react, they struck.

A torrent of flames flew toward me. I could feel it melting the flesh from me. Instantly, though, Crawler's power began to help me recover, to make me stronger.

I breathless giggle escaped my lips. There was no oxygen, no real reason to be laughing, but...

Something about this feels...right.

The flames stopped, and glass took their place. Cutting into my melted and charred form. Even still, I regenerated from it. None of the damage was sticking to me.

I cast aside Hatchet Face, brought Tattletale back out. She eyed me, worry obvious in her expression. She opened her mouth, but I shook my head.

I didn't need her to explain anything to me. She wasn't privy to any information I didn't have.

I rushed forward, glass still cutting, flames joining to try and burn me.

Shatterbird tried to fly away as I reached them, while Burnscar stepped into a pillar of fire.

I took the path of least resistance, took to the air after Shatterbird.

She apparently wasn't counting on me flying. I caught her easily, grabbing her ankle. I claimed her power and tossed the body aside, letting it fall to the ground.

I couldn't see Burnscar or the other 3, though. They had...

Huh... I reached up, taking the frames from my glasses. The lenses had shattered, likely due to the heat. And yet I could still see.

"Crawler's power healed your eyes, eh?" Tattletale asked.

I nodded, tossing the frames down.

"I think you should slow down, Taylor." Tattletale said. "This is a lot, and..."

Another portal opened, and I turned toward it.

"I'm not going to let them get away with this." I said. "What they did...everything they've done...I won't allow it. Dad is just...just the latest, and..."

Tattletale and Aegis looked at me with compassion in their eyes. Crawler huffed.

"Just...take a minute here, and..."

I shook my head, looking down at my hands. The skin was slightly darker, a little rougher looking. Another side effect of Cralwer's power.

"No, I'll take a minute when this is done. If I stop now, if I let myself think for too long...I won't be able to keep going. I'll just think about dad, and..."

I blinked tears away, then sighed. "I'll analyze myself later. Think about this later, but for now..."

I stepped through the portal, saw the three running members of the Nine stop in their tracks as they approached me.

"For now...you pay." I said.

Then I felt the most intense wave of sorrow wash over me that I had ever felt in my life. Worse than the locker, worse than mom...

I sank to my knees, shaking. Tears were flowing more freely now.

I...I can't...why should I even fight?

I should just end it...

I knew I couldn't do it with Crawler, knew I needed to switch.

Luckily, I maintained enough control to switch to my own choice of Capes.

Alabaster whistled as he came out. "Things...have gotten kind of crazy since I was taken out of the action, huh?"

After a few seconds, I felt the girls manipulations of my emotions fade. I started to stand...

Only to get his again. I couldn't shake her for long enough. I needed to...

A portal opened below me, dropped me onto a building. I knew instantly that it was outside of the girl's control. A few seconds, and all traces of her influence faded.

I forced myself up, thankful that Alabaster's power had eliminated the tears as well. I took a moment to compose myself...

And saw a stream of fire shoot up, spreading to one of the nearby buildings. I already started moving before Burnscar stepped onto the roof of the building.

I flew across, catching her by surprise. I tackled her to the ground.

She tried to burn me, to immolate me completely.

She didn't have the chance. I claimed her, switched Aegis for her, and snuffed out the flames with her control.

Then, an idea struck me. Something that I recalled from when I first saw the Nine.

And, apparently, Cauldron had a similar idea. Two portals appeared to either side of me.

I lifted my arms, aimed, and let loose.

A third portal opened before me, and I could see the scene that I was causing.

The Nine, or...the Three, as it were, were surrounded on both sides by torrents of flames. Jack clutched Bonesaw's arm while the other girl shook her head, looking around. My eyes, though, were on the flames.

Something clicked as I saw them, and I could feel a strange sort of peace fall over me.

I stopped shooting the flames and stepped through my portal. The girl's eyes fell to me, and I felt her influence invade me. The sorrow springing to life.

It was distant, though. Not nearly as strong as it had been. She knew it, too.

I cast Tattletale aside again, brought out the Siberian.

The girl turned to run, only to march straight into my projection. A hand wrapped around the girl's arm, and she was dragged toward me.

Jack and Bonesaw were still, eyes on me.

The girl was screaming, thrashing.

It did nothing to stop the Siberian.

I locked eyes with Jack, even as I reached up and placed a hand on the girl's face.

She fell, the life draining from her. I swapped her and Burnscar, instantly honing in on the emotions of the last two members. The girl's screaming was only slightly distracting.

I allowed myself to smile. I wondered, idly, what I must look like. My clothes were badly burned, barely holding on. I...likely looked more or less pristine. Unless you didn't count my upgrades as being pristine, but...I was fairly attached to my changes thus far. Nothing that made me look too inhuman.

Jack was whispering something. I could tell he had an idea. "You're awfully proud of this one, Jack." I said. "Though, still worried. I can feel that, now."

"Yes, Cherish's power, I'm aware." Jack said.

"Ahh, so that's her name? Good to know." I said, trying to sound as pleasant as possible. "Bonesaw is terrified, right now."

"Nuh uh." Bonesaw said, digging in her apron for something.

"Oh, sure, not in the normal way." I said. "You're too far gone for that. But you are scared on some level. The realization finally hit that you've bitten off more than you can chew."

"We've been at this a while." Jack said. "Gotten out of tougher spots. I'm not too concerned."

"That's arguable." I said. "I wonder how many of those tougher spots knew as much about you as I do? I can see everything. I have a very fine understanding of you and your powers."

"Noted." Jack said. "For now, though, it seems we must bid you adieu."

At that, Bonesaw hurled a vial at me. As it crashed to the ground, a green gas escaped. I swapped Alabaster for Crawler, just in case.

Then I fell to my knees as the gas hit me.

I swapped Cherish for Tattletale. She looked the scene over, reached the same conclusion I did.

"A mixture of things. A pretty nasty virus, plus something that turns a regenerator's power against them. I think Crawler's power can still overcome it, but..."

But it would take a bit. Jack And Bonesaw would get away...

"And, I don't know how bad it is, really .Alabaster's power might not be enough to survive it. I think Crawler's the safer bet."

I didn't have much choice, then. I sat on the ground, waited for the gas to fade, then for Crawler's power to fix me up.

All in all, it took about 6 minutes.

I stood when I was finally able, and took a few unsteady steps forward.

A portal opened. This one was on a building again. I stepped through, and looked over the edge. Jack and Bonesaw were running.

I made the Siberian appear before them, then jumped down. I felt my legs crack as I landed, but they were already healing as I pushed myself back up.

I had the time to do that, luckily. Jack and Bonesaw were busy with the Siberian. The man pushed the young Tinker aside just as the Siberian swung down to cleave their arms in half.

The girl stumbled for a moment, then gasped as the Siberian grabbed her.

Jack looked to me as I started walking toward the girl. He withdrew a knife and lashed out, trying to cut me.

He landed his hits, drew blood for a moment. When he saw my wounds sealing shut, and the knew ones becoming more and more shallow, he stopped.

He turned toward Bonesaw, must have sensed the invincibility that I was having the Siberian project to her, and placed the knife back on his belt.

He took a few steps backward, stopping when he walked right into Alexandria.

I reached up, cupped Bonesaw's face like I had Cherish's.

"She has safeties in place." Alexandria said. "You'll need to..."

"Right." I mumbled, not letting her finish. I claimed Bonesaw, cast aside the Siberian and began my work.

A few of the smaller viruses were released quickly, intended to keep people from potentially interfering with the more devastating ones. I ignored those. They would have a small area of effect, meant to incapacitate one or two people. Crawler's power would allow me to work past them.

"This has been a long time coming, Jack." Alexandria said.

"Oh, come now." Jack replied, a slight smile on his lips. "We've played this game a few times in the past. I've always managed to get away."

"You've never been completely without your team." Alexandria replied.

"Details..." Jack said. "Besides, you look upon me like I'm so far below you. You have your own secrets, Alexandria..."

"Don't let him talk." I said. "He has some thinker power that lets him manipulate other Capes."

Jack's head jerked toward me, and he scowled for a moment. Then, he let out a slow breath. "Is that so?"

I nodded, then stood. My work done, I kicked Bonesaw's body aside. I almost felt bad, until I remembered that she was a monster, not a little girl.

Of course, her yelling at me about that being rude wasn't helping.

I cast her aside for the Siberian and summoned her. Alexandria flinched at the sight.

"So...now you kill me?" Jack asked. "Go ahead. I give you permission. You'll be taking one more step down the path that you're destined for."

"Shut up." I said.

"You've already caused countless deaths tonight, allowed us to kill your father, and then claimed each and every member of my Nine." Jack said. "8 murderers in your head. Ready to help you prove to the world what you are."

I smiled at that, and I could see Jack's confusion. "I...didn't kill all of those people." I said. "I didn't kill my dad. You did."

I swapped Crawler for Hookwolf, shifted my arm into blades. "I did what needed to be done. Put down a group of cowardly murderers. And...as a true warrior, there's something to be said for carrying a piece of your fallen foes around with you."

I stabbed into Jack, piercing his flesh. None of his organs were cut, something of Bonesaw's no doubt prevented it. It didn't matter, though.

"I'll show you just how unalike we are." I said.

Jack collapsed to the ground, and I turned and started walking away. Alexandria started talking to me, but I ignored her words.

I sat atop Medhall, watching as the sun began to rise. Tears still fell from my eyes.

I glanced backwards as I heard footsteps approaching. I expected Alexandria, or maybe Eidolon. Instead, I saw the Doctor's bodyguard.

As my eyes fell on her, I finally understood her power.

"Good morning, Ms. Hebert."

"Contessa." I said.

"May I sit?"

"I'd prefer you didn't." I said. The woman nodded, and remained standing. We sat in silence for a moment.

"Is your power telling you to let me talk first?"

"It is. This is a tense situation. I'm sure you can't blame me for wanting to have a safety net."

"You could have stopped this." I said. "Prevented all of it. Why...?"

Contessa nodded again. "I'm sure it seems cruel, but we have it on good authority that the events from this night will increase our odds of victory in the end."

"Your power told you that?"

"No, I cannot see the outcome of Trigger events. One of my limitations. I wasn't even looking for a second trigger for you, until this information came to light."

"Then who...?" I began to ask.

"I think you already know. My confirmation is unnecessary, and will simply anger you."

I thought on it for a moment. I was aware of very few people who could make predictions like that.

As a matter of fact, I only knew of two. Contessa, and...

I lowered my head. Silence fell over us again.

"Why?" I asked, tears that I had been trying to hold back were spilling forth again.

"I could suggest some theories." Contessa said. "Try to offer justifications. I've used my power to get a grasp on how yours has changed."

"But every word out of your mouth is just making me doubt you." I said, finishing her thought. "Knowing what you can do, I'll just wonder if you're trying to manipulate me."

Contessa nodded again.

I took a breath. "But...I still want to know. Why did I need to go through this? Why did my dad...why did you fuck me over?"

Contessa sighed. "As I said, we were informed that these events would make you more suited for the final battle. We are not in a position to ignore opportunities that may increase our odds for survival. This is far too important." Contessa said. "That being said, we are still devoted to our partnership with you. Which is why I took the first opportunity, following your second trigger, to rescue your father from the Nine's clutches."

My eyes widened, and I looked at her. "You're...what?" I asked. "You...you better not be lying to me. I could...I could kill you."

"More than likely." Contessa said. "I wouldn't go easily, of course. But, no. I have no reason to lie in this case. He is being looked after in our facility. I can take you there now."

I clenched my hands, then nodded.

Contessa spoke, and a portal opened. I realized now that she was likely guiding their portal maker, instructing him when to open the portals and to where.

She walked through, and I followed.


	41. Chapter 41

Part 34:

Contessa led me down a hallway. It was a game. I knew it was. She could have opened a portal straight to dad. She was playing at something. Though, with a power like hers? She likely always was.

She was silent the entire time. Letting me stew. Only my ghosts spoke.

"This is good, right?" Tattletale asked. She was nervous. She was trying to piece together how fucked up I was now. So was I, to be honest.

"Yeah, all sunshine and rainbows." Alabaster said. It had been difficult to cast Crawler aside for my old standby. The feeling of the upgrades his power gave me...it was addicting. Easy to see how he let himself become that monster.

My third spot was currently occupied by Grue. He was silent, and I knew why. He wanted me to check on Aisha. He also knew that asking me to would be asking me to choose between my father and his sister. He wasn't willing to ask.

Which was for the best, because the way they were all bleeding into me? I wanted the stable ones around for now.

I glanced to Contessa.

Doesn't mean I won't use the more unhinged ones if I need to, though.

Finally, she stopped in front of a door. Allowed me to pass.

I stepped in and saw my father laying on a king size hospital bed. I touched the mattress as I approached. Soft.

Spared no expense.

"They're trying to show..."

"I know, Tattletale." I growled. I knew exactly what they were trying to show me. That they still valued our partnership. That I was worth keeping around enough that they saved my dad and made him comfortable.

My eyes drifted to the strangely empty spot under the cover. The spot where his arm should have been.

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I needed a moment for them to come to me. "Where is it?"

"Currently being kept on ice, under the assumption that the battle would go as planned." Contessa said. The subtext was clear.

Of course the battle went as planned. How could it not, with her power in play?

"Bring it to me." Hours ago, I would never have made demands of anyone, really. Much less someone in Cauldron. Someone so...powerful?

Though, considering I had just brought down the whole Slaughterhouse Nine largely by myself, I figured I deserved to toss a little weight around. God knows I'd earn a decent rep from it.

Contessa nodded, and after a moment Alexandria appeared carrying a case. I made my decision (Could Othala reattach an arm? Seal a wound, sure. Eliminate a scar? Yup. Reattach an arm? Probably not...) and cast Grue aside for Bonesaw. The girl's ghost was looking around frantically as she appeared, and I couldn't help but giggle at that. So interesting, that they're able to feel such a visceral reaction as fear.

Alexandria opened the case, revealing my father's severed arm. As I approached, I stifled a laugh at the image in front of me. One of the Triumvirate, one of the most powerful heroes in the world, doing dirty work for a relative unknown. Sure, Contessa was probably one of the few people stronger than Alexandria, but it was still funny. And telling.

I grabbed the arm out of the case (A little too much time has passed, reattachment would be an issue...for normal surgeons.)

"I need..."

"I know." Contessa said. A box floated down and landed on the table next to me. Their Custodian. Omnipresence. Everywhere and nowhere. "Thanks." I said.

"We liberated that from their latest camp." Alexandria said. The sound of her voice caused me to bristle slightly. "Likely not Bonesaw's best tools, but..."

I barely noticed Contessa raising her hand to stop Alexandria. They both remained quiet after that as I started going through the box. I recognized at least 7 plagues right away.

I pulled out a scalpel and a cream that Bonesaw's power told me was a disinfectant. "You're the real leader, right?" I asked. "The Doctor...she's a figurehead?"

Contessa opened her mouth, but I shook my head, apparently stopping her. "No, I was off base. She really is the boss. Something about you...you don't trust yourself to be in charge. What's wrong, something go belly up on you, early in the game?"

"Elysium, with all due respect..." Alexandria began. Contessa shook her head.

"No, it's all right. You are correct. I ceded control of Cauldron to the Doctor long ago. My power operates best when an outsiders perspective is applied." Contessa said.

"So...is that why all of this happened?" I asked, turning my attention back to the box. Need something to help me reattach these nerves...

"No. The Doctor was hesitant to pursue this option. Not against it, but...split on the issue." Contessa said. "I, ultimately, opted to push for it. I was willing to allow all of the repercussions to fall on me."

I let out a low whistle, pulling another paste and some tweezers from the box. "But...what if the repercussions don't just fall to you?" I asked, my voice becoming a little sing-songy at the end. I bit my lip, trying to force the pain to ground me. The small cut was gone seconds later. "I'm in your base, now. What if I go off the deep end. Start killing all of you. If I took Alexandria, there's not a hell of a lot most of you could do. Eidolon, maybe, could still kill me."

Silence reigned for a moment. The only sound was me working to reattach my father's arm. "If you tried to do that, we would do our best to stop you." Contessa said. Alexandria just glared.

"You would." I said. "Not sure you would succeed. Not sure I would succeed either, mind you."

Contessa let out a low sound. Some sort of affirmation. She was still choosing her words carefully. It was like talking to a machine perfectly tuned to say what you needed to hear to get you to do...anything. The very fact that I knew that she was trying not to make me feel less intelligent than her due to my influence from Tattletale was just making me more infuriated because, well...it was like she was saying she was smarter than me, on some level. Unless she knew that I would figure that out, and then...

I shook my head. This kind of circular logic was easy to get caught in.

I tried to turn my full attention to my dad. That lasted only seconds. "How much is enough? How far do you go before what you're doing no longer qualifies as you acting for the greater good?" I asked.

Alexandria was the one who spoke. "When you consider that, if nothing changes, most of humanity is wiped out? How could we not...?"

"What good is saving humanity if there's nothing human of it left? You could have stopped the Nine at any time. All you needed was the Triumvirate and your portals. One day..." I swallowed the rising anger and went back to reconnecting nerves. "How many lives were lost because you didn't stop them?"

"Rude! It's like you're pretending I'm not even here!" Bonesaw yelled. "And you're being so boring. Just putting his arm back on? Why not replace it with something cool, like a lobster claw, or a giant mutant fist, or...or one of Alexandria's arms. I wonder if it would keep her power..."

I smiled slightly, at that. The idea was interesting. Contessa shifted slightly. So, she can even pick up on that, eh?

"I can understand your point, of course. But when facing a threat like this, like Scion? Something that would wipe out humanity without a second thought..." Contessa said. She paused, and for the first time, I saw a hint of real emotion from her. "I've seen what they would do. I knew their plan, and I tried to stop it. I hesitated once, and that caused my greatest tool in the war to be weakened. Limitations put in place to stop me from doing what needed to be done."

My eyes widened with the implication. "You...Scion's counterpart. You told me an accident happened..."

"It crashed. Was gravely wounded. I had a knife, was prepared to finish it. I hesitated, and it placed restrictions on my power." Contessa said. "Now, I am blind to them. To Scion, to Triggers, the Endbringers..."

"And?" I asked, connecting the final nerve. I began applying the gel that would relink the muscles. "There's something else. Something you're hesitant to tell me."

I turned away for a moment, allowing the gel to work. "Tell me. If you want any hope of cooperation from me, you are going to tell me everything."

Contessa nodded, without hesitation. Was she waiting for me to give her that ultimatum?

"Eidolon. I am unable to see him as well. We're not exactly sure why, but..."

I thought about that. It was interesting, but given how strong he was I wasn't surprised.

"So...the monster blinded you, but you killed it." I said.

"My hesitance nearly cost me, cost humanity, everything. If not for the Doctor, the other entity may well have recovered. She took my knife and delivered the final blow."

I nodded slowly, going back to working on dad's arm. So, that's how they met...

"Because of that event, we decided long ago that there can be no hesitation, and no one plan. We do what we must to achieve victory over Scion. If, in the end, we are damned for our actions...at least we will hopefully have succeeded."

I bit my lip again, though only for a second. "The Case 53's...the monsters that your process can create."

"Yes, what of them?" Contessa asked. "We discussed them previously."

"You don't free them all, do you? You keep some of them here."

"We do. The strongest among them. The hope, until recently, had been that they would be able to harm Scion when the final battle comes. Or, at the least, serve as a distraction."

"Until recently?" I asked, removing another jar. This one would mend flesh back together. I could have used Othala for that, but...

"Yes. We've recently brought on a new Cape, of sorts." Contessa said. Alexandria was staring between the two of us. I could tell she was surprised with how freely this information was flowing. She must really want me on her good side.

"Of sorts?"

"Difficult to explain, without all of the information. I can share it with you, but..."

It's technical, not really relevant.

"New Cape of sorts? Not really a new Cape. A second trigger? No..something else..." Tattletale mumbled.

"Maybe explain later. I'm not done." I said. "So, an army of monster Capes, some way to give out powers, apparent willingness to mess with your allies if it furthers your end goal..."

Contessa didn't speak, so I pressed on.

"Speaking of, I figured out about Legend. He doesn't know."

"Of course you did. We had no doubt." Contessa said. Alexandria nodded.

Irritating.

"You'll tell him." I said.

"Another condition for your continued assistance?" Alexandria asked.

"No. Not at all. If we fail to tell him, she will. Legend will learn the full story one way or another." Contessa said. "Very well. We'll tell him. It's unlikely to be a major issue for long, given our latest acquisition."

That said something. A cure? Some way to fix the mutations?

"Is that all?" Alexandria asked, one eye brow slightly raised.

I finished sealing up dad's arm and turned toward the pair. I cast Bonesaw away, replaced her with Kaiser. Instantly a blade grew from the floor. Slender, highly decorative, but the edge no more dull than any other his power could create. Once the sword was in my grip, I cast him aside.

The shift in the pair was instant, and I couldn't help but grin. "Very interesting." I said. "It figures that Contessa knows what I'm doing. That is how her power works, after all. Gaining the knowledge she needs. But Alexandria? Well, that's more interesting. You took your cue from her. She barely even twitched, and you knew what I did."

"Summoning the sword helped give it away." Alexandria said. "You can't kill us with his power."

"Not his alone, no." I conceded. "But...if I wanted you dead, all it would take was a touch. No...I'm not going to kill you."

"Now you'll make your requests?" Contessa asked.

Pointless. She knew the answer. It was so...boring.

Though, I did relish in finally getting her on edge. No longer the smartest person in the room, Contessa?

"Well, while this is less than ideal, it is interesting to see how you're taking to my power." Jack Slash said. "Like a fish to water. Almost enough to bring a tear to my eye."

I ignored him. Sure, he could read me...but I could read him, too. He was complimenting me, reading my poor self esteem.

Didn't work so well when I could see what he was doing a mile away.

"Not requests." I said. "You offered me money and materials before. I have enough powers now that I can get them myself. That puts us in a position where you need me more than I need you." I said.

Neither woman spoke. "So...let's see. You're going to tell Legend about all of your illicit deeds, as I said." I repeated, swinging the sword slightly. For effect, I extended the edge to carve some lines into the floor. I could feel The Custodian stir, but she didn't act against me. "You're apparently already planning to fix them, so good for you. Now, let's see. We need to discuss my father's safety."

"We can assist with that, but you should know that videos are already circulating. Apparently L33t hacked Bonesaw's spiders, captured some of your exchanges. Rumors of your identity are already circulating."

I frowned. That wasn't good. "Okay, workable." I said. "We just...you just need to come up with something really good."

"There are options. A vial..."

I raised my sword and pointed it at Contessa, eyes narrowed. "No, I thought not. We could employ him, here. He would be out of reach of those who would seek to hurt him."

"He won't want to leave Brockton Bay." I said.

"We can supply bodyguards, then. We've recently acquired a few people who are fit for the job."

"Been really loose with your hiring policies, then?" I asked.

The joke didn't land, apparently. Oh well.

"You're talking as though you're not going to be in the city to watch him."

I narrowed my eyes. "No, I...not all the time." I said. "This situation, it's got me thinking. How many more people like the Nine are out there? Psychos who don't play by the rules. Who kill for fun. I...I won't have that. You're concerned for the end of the world? What if we don't even make it to the point that Scion decides to attack? What if another Nine pops up? What about Nilbog?"

Alexandria looked at me. "What you're saying...I understand, but there are checks and balances. We need to..."

"Be careful, got it. Well, I'm going to do this regardless. But...play ball with me here, keep my dad safe, and I'll be amenable. We'll check in before we strike, maybe give you a chance to talk some sense into people..."

"This won't work the way you think it will. You need to..." Contessa cut Alexandria off with a motion.

"And in return, you'll also want access to the Doormaker, as was previously established, to allow you to visit your father."

"And for emergencies." I said. "As a matter of fact, I want full partnership perks. Not the halfway shit I was getting before. You want me to be a piece in the game, I damn well better be a queen."

Contessa didn't hesitate before nodding. "Very well. We had already been discussing bringing you further in. Consider it done. As a result, though. We would like to supply you with two of our newest employees. They will keep an eye on you. Keep you grounded, I believe. It may prove necessary in the coming days, given the change to your power."

The change you helped force upon me.

"Why would I accept that."

"Why wouldn't you? More power for your team, and they're each fairly flexible in their power usage. Plus, it will be their teammates watching your father."

I raised an eye brow, but Contessa was already turning. "Come in, please."

Two people entered. A man and a woman. Well, in all honesty, they weren't too much older than me from what I could tell. Maybe late teens.

The man wore a serpent like mask, black armor, and a scaly cape. He had long hair hanging loose around his neck.

The woman wore a black mask with red lenses over the eyes. The mask was somewhat dog like, though I would classify it more as a demon. She wore dark grey armor in a style similar to the mans, with a similar scaled cape. Her own long brown hair was tied back, and she was holding herself as though she was uncomfortable.

"Elysium. Allow me to introduce Typhon and Echidna." Contessa said.


	42. Chapter 42

Part 35:

"Typhon and Echidna are members of a Parahuman group that you may be somewhat familiar with. The Travelers." Contessa said.

"Yeah, I'm aware of them." I said. "They worked for Coil until recently. Disappeared without a trace. Your path tell you to pick them up?"

Contessa nodded. "Most members of the Travelers have very potent abilities. We opted to recruit them."

I looked back to the two Capes, able to put some things together. "Stole them from Coil, huh? Must have struck a good deal."

"We had some issues. They helped with them." Typhon said.

"And, frankly, the Bay was getting a bit too hectic for us." Echidna said.

I frowned a bit at that. I was able to pick up on the implication.

"I don't recall your names." I said. "From when I researched your group."

"We've had some...rebranding." Typhon said.

"He used to be Trickster. Echidna was not a widely publicized member of the group." Alexandria said.

I looked at the girl. "Hmm, too weak? No, that doesn't make sense. You were strong...maybe too strong?"

"Her power was damaged. It was consuming her." Contessa said.

"And you fixed her..." I said.

"Ironically, her power was the key to solving the problem. She was able to create clones with slightly altered powers. Bearing that in mind, we only needed to locate the correct Cape." Contessa said. "Unfortunately, I lacked the ability to view what powers the clones would be generated with. I needed to seek outside coucil."

"Dinah Alcott." I said. The other half of the precog duo that had conspired to set the Nine on me.

"Correct. We had a number of individuals who could have potentially solved Echidna's problem. Panacea was among the first to spring to mind, but we quickly affirmed that interactions between their powers would have been catastrophic. Fortunately, we were aware of another individual. A young man who doesn't heal, in the strictest of terms. He utilizes a wound displacement effect." Contessa said.

"After some trial and error, we created a clone with an appropriate power." Alexandria said. "A Trump power, capable of altering powers. We assume it is based off of potential Triggers or mindsets."

"And you used that clone to alter her power, make it more manageable." I said. "So...still a power copier, still able to create minions. And they can..."

Echidna sighed and raised her hands and pulled off one of the gloves that covered them. I could see that the flesh of her hand was a dark grey, the same color as the mask that she wore. "You know what Franc...um, Typhon's power is, right?"

"Teleportation. Swaps two items with similar masses."

"Yeah, exactly." Echidna said. She then looked to Typhon. "Can I...?"

He nodded, and held out his arm. She touched his hand, and I could see her arm begin to ripple. A tear formed, opening into what looked like a mouth. After a few moments, a small creature crawled out of the opening, which sealed shut after it was out.

The creature was a ball of flesh with two large eyes on either side of it, six arms with small claws, and a prehensile tail that ended with a needle. It crawled onto her back as she turned around, revealing a small hole in the back of her armor. The creature slid it's tail into the hole, and Echidna flinched. She then looked toward Alexandria, and the two swapped places. She didn't need to do that for me, though. My power fed me the update to her own abilities instantly.

"Interesting. And they can work on anyone." I said.

"Correct. Based on our testing, they have an average lifespan of 30 minutes." Contessa said. "Quite potent, if not quite as flexible as her original power. She also lost the considerable brute power that she possessed."

"It doesn't matter..." Echidna said. "Any loss of...flexibility is worth the loss of all of the bad."

"And..you can fix others like her? The other Case 53's?"

"Yes. We've tested it on a few already. We will begin a program to repair the damaged powers soon." Contessa said.

I looked toward Echidna again. She was still acting withdrawn, scared...

How bad had she been? How much of a monster had she become?

"Must have been something to see, before." Tattletale said. "I'm getting some bad vibes. She may have been A class threat territory. Maybe even S."

"Mmm, so interesting." Jack said. "You know, this girl was Crawler's pick for the team. He was so upset when she disappeared. He hoped that she would be able to give him a good fight."

"Oh, good...and Cauldron wants her on the team. So...two prospective members of the Nine, one of whom has the rest of them in her head..." Alabaster said. "For once, I'm glad I'm already dead."

"I'm just excited to see what happens. This is shaping up to be an interesting group." Jack said.

"Oh, that's a bad sign. Definitely don't want you thinking anything is exciting." Tattletale said. "I think maybe you should retire, Taylor. Just take it easy for the rest of your life. Best way to foil whatever he's after."

"Oh, come now. You'd get bored of that as well as I would. Our courteous host would too. I could tell right away that she relishes in conflict. She lives for the fights." Jack said.

I shook my head. "You...you want me to take them onto my team?"

"They're quite capable." Contessa said. "As are the remainder of the Travelers. They will operate as an extension of your group and oversee your father. They are more than capable of ensuring his safety."

I looked toward Typhon and Echidna. "She's right." Typhon said. "The team...they're skilled. We've all gotten good at this Cape thing, since we came here."

I lifted my sword, feeling it's weight. "Well...I suppose more teammates are always useful... Perhaps a test run?"

"A test run?" Typhon asked.

"Right. My dad's gonna be out for a bit. Bonesaw's anesthetic packs a punch. So we have time..."

"Taylor, you should rest. Take a bit of time to...you know, figure stuff out?" Tattletale said.

"Oh, don't listen to her. Do whatever you please." Jack said. "Stretch your new powers, and..."

"Shut up." I said. "Tattletale, you'll be pleased by what I have in mind for my test."

Tattletale's mouth opened, but it took her a moment to speak. "That can wait. We don't need to..."

"No, I've come so close. Only two more..."

"Two more?" Echidna asked.

"Two gangs left in Brockton Bay. I took down the Empire and the Merchants... The ABB and Coil are all that's left. After that, I'll rest before we decide what to do next. Until then..."

I paused. I knew I still wasn't thinking right. I was still riled up, but I didn't want to think about everything right now. I needed to just act, just...

"Get ready, you two. We'll see how you do." I said. I then looked to Contessa. "We're not done with our discussion, by the way. I'm just feeling a little antsy."

"Of course. We can continue once your business in Brockton Bay is concluded." Contessa said.

"Oh, and if anything happens to my dad..."

"We wouldn't save him just to allow him to die." Alexandria said.

"...I might have believed that a few hours ago." I said. "Now, I'm not so sure." I looked at Typhon and Echidna.

"Let's go."


	43. Chapter 43

Interlude - Noelle:

She had seen a lot of horrible things since gaining her powers.

Hell, she had caused a lot of horrible things. All the pain, the...

The deaths.

Still, she was fixed now. Healed. She had hoped to put all of that behind her. Held onto the idea that she would get cured, could go back to her normal life.

She reflected, as she stood on the edge of the building, that at least half of her dream had happened. She was fixed. Even if she did still have powers, was still stuck in this life.

At least she had gotten to see her parents. After so much time, she had been able to tell them that she was alive. To see them and talk to them. Without concern of being a monster.

As long as she kept her arms and hands covered, no one would know about this.

Her eyes drifted to Taylor. The girl that Cauldron wanted her and Francis to watch over. She was hunched over, looked worn down, was occasionally muttering to herself...

She could see why they wanted a babysitter for her. She was in rough shape. Not as rough as Noelle herself had been, but still clearly not in a good place

Noelle then looked down to her...creation. Pet? She would likely need to come up with a name for them. It was resting on her arm at the moment. It's needle like tail wrapped around her.

She turned her attention to Francis. He was looking at Taylor, too. He had been more involved in the Cape life, had more of a handle on it.

"Are you two ready?" Taylor asked. She sounded worn down, too.

"Yeah." Francis said.

"You know the plan? Your targets?"

"Yeah. I'll deal with Oni Lee. No...Echidna distracts Lung until you can be sure Bakuda is out of the way."

Taylor nodded. "Good. And you can handle that? Oni Lee?"

Francis...no, Typhon nodded. He raised his hand where another of her creations rested. It's tail moved, jabbing into his arm. She could feel the connection forming between the creature and Typhon. He held up his other hand and fired a blast. The laser shot into the sky and then spiraled downward, spinning around him.

Legend had been upset when they saw him, just before they left. Luckily, he was willing to supply them with a sample of his power.

Taylor...or Elysium, pulled out a phone and looked at it. "Lethe and Tartarus are in place. We're going." she said. "Time?"

"Both creatures should have about 20 minutes left." Noelle said. Her own creature, abiding by her will, moved to her back.

"Good. Then go." Elysium said. "I'll catch up once I'm sure Bakuda is handled."

With that, the girl dropped off the building. She would be safe, Noelle was sure.

"Are you going to be okay?" Typhon asked.

She nodded. "Let's just do this. I...I still don't like all of this."

Her creature plunged its tail into her back, and she could feel it's power flowing into her. An exact copy of Alexandria's power. She took to the air and flew off. Contessa had given them instructions. And she was now able to recall those instructions perfectly.

And, the flight was enjoyable. If not for the horrible reality of what they were doing...

She shook her head. No point in dwelling.

The building was innocuous. Run down, for sure, but not remarkable. A perfect hideout, she supposed.

Third floor, second window from the right. She flew toward it at full speed.

She still flinched when she crashed through the wall. The lack of pain still surprising her.

The man was standing already when she finally spotted him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

She sighed. For all the time that that she had spent in Brockton Bay, she had never met him or any member of his gang. She had never intended to, either.

But she knew of him. The others had spoken of him.

He was already growing. He must have been approaching seven feet in height. She could see scales emerging, his muscles growing.

There was no need for any further delay. She rushed at him, punching him in the face. She could feel his jaw crack and break. He skidded back, but didn't fall.

She could see that his jaw was already healing as he turned to look at her, flames sparking into life around him. He let loose a wild roar and charged her.

Noelle was thrown back out the hole that she formed upon entering, and crashed to the ground. Lung was punching her and shooting her with flames the entire time.

She still didn't feel a thing. She reared back and punched him again. His head fell back as he recoiled from the hit. She punched again, and he fell back off of her.

When this was over, she was going to need to get some lessons. She, unfortunately, couldn't see her future being free of fighting.

"Strong little bitch..." Lung said. "I'll crush you..."

His speech was slurring. Partly from the damage to his jaw, partly from the changes that were rapidly occurring to his body and face.

She could feel her creature, how close it was to expiring. It was hard to put into minutes, exactly, but she could tell she had about 15 left.

She stood up, brushed herself off, and looked back to Lung. He was surrounded by even more flames, was even larger than he had been a mere minute ago.

She looked down. Contessa had assured her that her outfit should be very difficult to destroy.

That better be true.

She flew at him again, continuing her assault. As she rained down each blow, she could feel them working less and less. Lung was shaking the hits off more easily, there was less give. He was knocking her around more easily, burying her more deeply into the ground, the heat was becoming more blistering.

She could see the asphalt melting under his feet.

And, all the while, she could feel her creature weakening, it's timer ticking down.

When there was only five minutes left, she removed her glove, and her next blow took a sample of Lung's power. Flying away, using the buildings as cover, she allowed her newest creature to form. She could still hear Lung roaring the entire time.

The roars became pained, and she hesitated for a moment. She could hear the sounds of Typhon's blasts from his own temporary power as they cut into Lung.

Idiot...he better not get himself killed.

Noelle landed, and forced her creature to disconnect from her, and the new one took it's spot, digging it's tail into her.

The first creature crumpled to dust, actively dismissed by her as she felt her new power take hold.

Instantly, she felt herself growing. Not like before, not for the mere act of growing, of destroying herself.

No, this time she was growing in response to a threat. The threat that Lung posed to everyone.

To Francis.

Scales erupted from her skin, muscle formed where little had existed before, flames ignited around her to do her bidding.

She turned back, heading back to the battle. Francis' power was running out. He had about a minute...

She moved faster, now. Her stronger legs carrying her easily.

She could see Francis, flying with her creature's help.

She looked to Lung. Easily 15 feet tall to her current 8. Though, she was growing faster than he was at the moment.

His eyes fell to her, and she swore she could see a grin come to his twisted face.

Francis...Typhon, she reminded herself, landed and began backing away. She prepared herself, getting ready to pounce...

He was ready, but he didn't have the same knowledge she did, couldn't see what she could.

The darkness, rolling from the alley. She rushed him, meeting him head on.

His strength was greater than hers, but she wasn't trying to push him, or even really do damage.

As if it had been rehearsed, the darkness exploded forward. She felt her sight leave her. Surprisingly, her hearing stayed. She could make out the many limbs, the metallic claws of the creature that had burst onto the scene scraping along Lung's body. It made contact with her, but didn't cut. Didn't even try.

Lung turned his attention to her, or tried to. The struggle was over quickly.

She felt her strength begin to wane after a few moments. She was back to normal long before the darkness faded.

Her creature was mere moments from death by the time she could see again.

There, Elysium sat. One of her arms over the gash where Lung's eyes used to be.

"Bakuda's taken care of?" Typhon asked.

"On her way to the PRT." Elysium said. "Tartarus is seeing to it."

Noelle nodded, feeling her creature begin to fade. "So, are we done?"

"You are." Elysium said. "I have a few more things to take care of."

"We're supposed to help you." Typhon said.

"And you have. But the dangerous part is over. The ABB is done. They were unpredictable, powerful...they could do massive collateral damage, were hard for us to control alone."

"And now...?" Noelle asked.

"Now, I have a chat with your former boss, and a few other acquaintances."


	44. Chapter 44

Interlude: Thomas

It was an interesting and action packed night, to be sure. He had taken action when he heard of the Slaughterhouse Nine's visit to the city. Bolstered his defenses, made preparations to gather the heroes and villains of the city to discuss the best way to deal with the situation.

And then Elysium had managed to defeat all of them. Somehow.

He wondered if her assistance went deeper than her two comrades. Lethe and Tartarus. Their powers alone seemed unlikely to shift the balance against the Nine.

He slowly walked down the hallway toward his office. His intervention hadn't been necessary at all. Which was fortunate. He had still been able to learn a lot, and was managing to get a full night's sleep in his other timeline.

All he had to do now was get a few more details, and he could...

He snapped awake, something shaking him. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness.

Nothing there. But he could have sworn...

He stopped moving in his first timeline. A nightmare? Or maybe...

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sleeping on the job, Mr. Calvert?"

He turned to look at the voice. A girl in a black costume with a blue wave pattern on it.

"You...you're Lethe."

"Ooh, you've heard of me. So glad," the girl said.

Thomas slowly moved his hand under his pillow, and...found nothing.

"Looking for something?" Lethe asked. "I've removed the pistol from under your pillow. And the one in your nightstand. And the shotgun under your bed. And...you know, you even consider that you might be paranoid?"

"Considering that a known vigilante has broken into my home? I think certain precautions are warranted," Thomas said. He needed to wait, to hold off on collapsing the timeline. Needed to know how she found him. "Why are you here?"

"I think you know, you sneaky snake," Lethe said. "You must have known this was coming."

He controlled himself. Needed to. But...they knew. "That...feels like an accusation of some sort. I'm afraid I don't under-"

"You do." This voice was raspy, worn. A shadow figure stepped through the door and solidified. He recognized her costume instantly, even as dirty as it was.

"Hello Coil," Elysium said. "I think this meeting is long overdue."

He collapsed the timeline, not willing to risk being in the same room as her. There was no way to know how her power would interact with his. Would her killing him in one timeline kill him in the other?

Better to be safe than sorry. He split the timeline again. In one, he continued walking to his office, in the other he turned around...

And saw a figure emerging from a shadow behind him. He turned in the other timeline and saw the same thing.

"How...?" Coil asked. Both instances of Tartarus pointed to his office.

Both of him walked to the door. The first waited for the second to catch up before punching the code in and allowing the door to open.

His office was as he left it. At least, it appeared to be at first. His chair began to spin around.

"Hello Coil," Elysium said. The same raspy voice.

"Elysium."

"Why don't you sit down. I think we have a bit to discuss."

He took the seat opposite his normal chair. No way to access the self destruct button, no access to the pistols in the drawers.

"I know it was rude of me to just barge in, but...I didn't really foresee you offering me an invitation."

"I had hoped to put off our meeting for some time," he said. "I hear you've had an eventful night."

"Very." The girl was dividing her attention between him and the computer in front of her. "Very interesting information here. Hard for most people to get into. Tattletale's power let's me get in just fine, though."

Coil swallowed slowly. She was looking through his files. She could access everything. It would be catastrophic.

If he wasn't already in one of the worst positions he could be in.

"Lot's of mercenaries under your employ. Some spies in all of the major gangs and the PRT. Ahh, here we go. Some info on Capes. Circus, someone named Trainwreck. Ahh, Uber and Leet. That's interesting." The girl placed her hands on the desk. In one, she held a knife. Not long, but very sharp.

The implication was clear.

"You know, I'm noticing some fallout from my ordeal last night," Elysium said. "Leet decided to hack into Bonesaw's robots, which revealed my identity, in a roundabout way."

One of Coil's plans. A way to, hopefully, know where the Nine were. And now she knew Leet was working for him.

"Unfortunate. But, what my employees do without my knowledge is..."

Pain. A blinding pain in his shoulder. Looking down, he could see the line that was cut in his suit, blood pouring out.

"Don't insult me." Her voice was cold. "That's a deep cut. Looks like our little chat has a time limit now. That's fine, though."

The door opened. A press of a button from his desk. Two pairs of footsteps entered.

"Good work, Tartarus," Elysium said.

He turned, and saw Tartarus holding the hand of his pet. The young girl looked scared.

"Dinah. Apologies for the delay in helping you." Elysium's voice sounded strained. Like she was having trouble saying the words.

"It's okay..." Dinah said.

Elysium looked at the girl for a moment, then nodded. "The big numbers? If I kill him versus if I claim him."

"1.485% better odds if you claim him." Dinah said.

Elysium nodded. "Okay. Tartarus, take her to the safe house. I have a few more things to do, then I'll meet you there. Tell Lethe to move to the next location."

The other girls left without a word. Thomas could feel himself becoming dizzy, the blood loss affecting him.

"Well, it seems we'll have more opportunities to talk after all."

He split the timeline. A desperate attempt.

"Please. You don't need to do this. Everything that I've done has been with a grand goal in mind. If you would let me explain...," he began in the first timeline.

In the second, he jumped from the chair, trying to run from the room.

He felt slashes open up along his back, and collapsed that timeline before she could claim him.

"I'm not interested in what you have to say. You're more trouble than you're worth."

He split the timeline again. "I can help you. Alive, I can offer my support. Use of my power without you needing to use it. The PRT has assumed that you have a limit to the number of powers that you can use at once."

In the second timeline, he jumped over the desk, desperate to reach a gun.

He saw her, this time, unfolding into a bladed form and let loose Jack Slashes power. He was shredded instantly, barely alive.

He collapsed the timeline again, lowered his head.

"You can't beat me, Coil," Elysium said. "I know how your power works. Likely better than you do. And I can exploit every weakness in it. I've already whittled you down to no options. You've lost."

He devoted himself to thinking. There had to be some way out of this. If he could just..."

He split the timeline.

In both, a blade impaled him through the chest.

He looked into Elysium's eyes, cold and distant.

"You've lost."

The timelines converged as his vision faded.


	45. Chapter 45

Interlude: Aisha

"Purity...," Taylor said.

"Elysium. Why...what brings you here?" Purity was scared. Was news travelling that fast?

Probably. For such a big city, Brockton Bay sure could be like a school full of gossipy kids sometimes.

Taylor was slightly hunched forward. They had been working together long enough for Aisha to recognize what was happening. She was tired. Maybe not physically. Alabaster's power could take care of that. Mentally, though?

She could use a juice box and a nap for sure.

"Nothing bad. Don't worry." Taylor was pacing a bit. "Me and my team, we've been busy tonight."

"Sort of an understatement." Purity said, wandering a bit herself. Aisha remembered the layout pretty well, and could see what the woman was doing. Placing herself between Taylor and her daughters room.

Taylor nodded. "Right. Not just the Nine, though. The ABB and Coil are done. Bakuda and Oni Lee are in the PRT's custody."

"And...Lung and Coil?"

Silence. Aisha helped herself to an apple on the counter. She was starving. Hadn't been able to eat dinner last night with all of the 'excitement'.

"Okay." Purity finally said.

"Don't worry. Like I said, I'm not here to do anything to you or your family. I have an offer."

"An offer?"

"You're in charge of Medhall now, right?" Purity looked surprised, and Taylor ignored it. "Coil was doing research. He knew the identities of all Empire Capes. Past and present. Until I took them out, I think he was planning on releasing the info. As it was, I think he was planning to blackmail you into working for him." Taylor paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, definitely."

Purity nodded slowly. "Okay."

"He even went so far as to buy this building and emptied a few apartments. Which, I'd like to take advantage of. I'm sure you've heard about my...identity issues."

"Yeah, it started spreading pretty quickly."

Taylor nodded. "My dad. I'm concerned about his well being. Some people that I'm working with have offered to protect him. However, I'd feel better if someone uninvolved in their affairs were also keeping an eye on him."

"Who are these people?"

"Don't worry, they won't do anything to you. As a matter of fact, being even slightly involved in this will mean you're safer than if you weren't."

Taylor's voice went up at the end. Aisha smirked. A message for her Cauldron buddies, no doubt. Were they listening right now? She'd have to assume they were.

A door opened, and Theo walked out slowly.

"So, you want me to help you and these...bodyguards look after your father?"

"Sort of. I...I'm not going to be here. I think if I stay, he'll be more of a target."

"You're...leaving? Where will you go?"

"Nowhere specific. Anywhere that people like the Nine are. People who cause trouble and break the rules because they think they can," Taylor said.

"Just you and your two friends?"

Taylor shook her head. "The same allies have supplied two additional bodyguards for us."

Purity but her lip. "That...still doesn't seem..."

Aisha turned her attention to Theo, who was clenching his fists a bit. Aisha walked over to him, studying his actions.

She had gotten used to watching people while she was like this. Could tell certain things, now.

She walked up behind him and leaned in. "Have something you want to say? Just say it." she whispered. He tensed for a moment.

"Um...I..."

Both heads turned to look at the boy. He hesitated, and Aisha rolled her eyes. "Are you gonna say it?"

Theo opened his mouth again, then turned and walked away, going back into his room and closing the door. Aisha shook her head.

Purity turned back to Taylor and let out a breath. "I...I can help you. I do owe you, after all."

Taylor nodded. "Okay, thank you. I'll tap into some of Coil's funds, make sure you get fair compensation for your help."

"That's not necessary. I'm making more than enough." Purity said.

"I insist."

Purity nodded, and Taylor walked out of the apartment. Aisha waited a moment, and then followed.

When she caught up, Taylor was on the phone. Judging by the exchange, she was talking to someone from Cauldron, setting up getting her dad's stuff moved.

Aisha's phone rang after a few more minutes. She raised an eyebrow as she pulled it out. She also watched as Taylor flinched for a moment, and looked around.

Aisha answered, and the confusion faded from Taylor, who went back to her phone call.

"Hello?"

Aisha smirked as the person on the other end began talking.

"You're all loaded up?" Taylor asked. Emma nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sleeping in the back."

"And you talked to your parents?"

The projection nodded again. "Yeah, told them I would be gone for a bit longer than I thought. They weren't happy, but..."

"Still should have told them."

"Are you going to make me?"

Taylor turned and stared at the girl with a hard expression. "No, it's your prerogative."

Emma's shoulders slumped, and she walked her projection inside. Taylor turned to look at Aisha. "You ready?"

"Yeah, called the folks earlier and told them I was going on a trip with you. Their responses amounted to 'have fun'."

Taylor nodded. "Okay, then let's..."

"Hold on! Wait!"

The two of them turned to see a chubby boy running toward them. Aisha smiled, Taylor just looked confused.

"Theo? What are you doing here?" Taylor asked. Aisha could hear in her tone, though. She was already piecing it together.

"We had a chat earlier. He's got some bad memories tied up in this city, too. And he wants to make a difference. I invited him along."

Taylor looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

"He'll be able to help, right?"

Taylor looked at her, then nodded. "Mm. Is Purity okay with this?"

"She wasn't exactly happy, but she understands."

Taylor shrugged and gestured, allowing him inside. He moved slowly, carrying a case with him. Once he was inside, Taylor turned to Aisha.

"I would have liked to know about this earlier."

"I took the call right in front of you."

Taylor grimaced, and Aisha laughed. "I'll run things by you in the future. He wants to help. Let's go."

Taylor shrugged and walked into the RV.

Aisha activated her power and followed. The thing was pretty crazy, honestly. Clear a Tinker had made it. It was twice as big as a normal RV. There were several beds in the back, a fairly large kitchen for a vehicle, and an actual full bathroom.

Plus, it was armored, had some weapons built into it that she couldn't even begin to understand, and some other stuff that Taylor had rambled about once she finished it.

She could see Theo sitting at the kitchen table, opposite Noelle and Krouse. Krouse had his arm around Noelle, and they were both chatting with the boy. Boring stuff, idle chatter.

Emma's real body was on a bed in the back. Her projection was up in the passenger seat. Taylor had taken the driver's seat.

That seemed like a much more interesting situation.

As she approached, she noticed that Emma's projection had changed outfits, wearing a black sundress.

Taylor shifted the RV and took off. Aisha deactivated her power. "So, where we heading, boss?"

Both of them jumped. Aisha thought it was particularly funny that Emma, who was essentially invincible was scared by her.

"Boston first." Taylor said, recovering quickly. "I did some research. There's some people we should meet there."

Taylor's slight smile as she spoke was a bit disturbing.

Aisha could see a slight smile on Emma's voice. "Remember all the times we asked to go along with my dad on business trips to Boston?"

Taylor's voice became harder. "Yeah, I remember."

The slight smile on Emma's lips fell away, and she turned to look out the window. Aisha sighed slightly, and then looked to Taylor. "So...Boston."

"Yeah. Got word from Cauldron. They have a contact there, Accord, and I want to meet him. Then there are some other people to look into. Blasto and the Butcher."

"Sound like fun people," Aisha said.

"We'll see how much fun."

"Maybe...maybe you should rest up, Tay?"

"Can't. I'm the only one who knows how to drive this," Taylor said. "But that's why Emma's here. She's watching to learn. Right?"

The same hard voice. The one she always used when talking about or to Emma.

Emma just nodded. It was almost enough to make Aisha feel bad for her. Almost. She had been a huge bitch, after all.

"Cool. I'm gonna go nap, then. Feel free to wake me if ya need me."

Aisha turned and walked to the beds, and plopped down on one.

She wondered if this was sustainable. If their little team could survive like this.

She would have to see, and if things started going bad...

Well, she'd just have to fix it.

She smiled as she closed her eyes.


	46. Chapter 46

Part 36:

I stepped out of the RV and stretched. Alabaster, Tattletale, and Grue were behind me.

"You know, even with my power, I still slept once in a while," Alabaster said.

"Seems like a waste of time to me..." I said.

"Taylor, you need to take a while, wind down," Tattletale said. "Maybe spend some time with your dad."

I shook my head. "No, too much to do. Too many..."

I could see Tattletale shift, looking around. "Could you send Grue away? I think..."

"Hey, I wanna keep an eye on Aisha. I know this isn't easy on Taylor, but she was out there too."

"Grue, you're affecting her mentality. You're great and everything, but..."

"Quiet. Please," I said. "I'm not going to relax. I can't. I need to keep moving forward. I'd feel that way regardless of Grue being out."

Tattletale made a noise. She didn't believe me.

I didn't care.

"Nice city, huh?" I turned and saw Aisha stepping out of the RV. She was grinning. "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt? I know how you like to chat with yourself."

"Funny."

"I thought so," Aisha said. "So, who you chatting with?"

"Your brother, Tattletale, and Alabaster."

Aisha nodded. "The usual crew, then. Sick of your new friends already?"

I groaned and took a few steps.

"What's the plan?"

I held up my phone. "Got a message a while ago. Some details from our shadowy friends at Cauldron. Info on the major powers villainous powers here."

"Ooh, anyone good?"

"Three major forces here. Accord is the largest and most organized. Runs his gang like a business, more or less. And he has ties to Cauldron. Buys powers from them for people he finds deserving."

"So, he's on the level? More or less?"

"Who knows. They set me up with an appointment so that I can meet him and decide that for myself."

Aisha raised her eyebrows. "Really? They're letting you make that call."

"They're on thin ice with me and they know it. Guess they're willing to make these calls. And they may be confident enough in him to let me meet him."

"What about the others?"

"A tinker, Blasto. He makes creatures from plants. Not terribly aggressive, but strong enough to hold his territory. And the last gang is the Teeth."

"Hmm, should I have heard of them? You say that like I should have heard of them," Aisha said.

"They were one of the big gangs in Brockton Bay back in the day," Emma said, her projection walking out of the RV. Aisha looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She shrugged. "I have a lot of time to look into this stuff. They're led by the Butcher."

Aisha nodded. "Now that is a name I've heard of. Crazy guy with a bunch of...voices...in his head..."

I grimaced at her. "It's her, now. Butcher XIV, formerly known as Quarrel. She killed the previous Butcher a while back in New York."

"So she's outta town? Her gang should be easy to deal with..." Aisha started.

I shook my head. "First, every member of the Teeth is a psycho. Secondly, she's back. Once gangs in Brockton Bay started dropping, she hauled it back here and started planning how to reclaim their old turf. At least that's what Cauldron says."

"Oh. Problem then. So we taking them out?"

"Maybe. Gonna check in with Accord first. See what he thinks. Maybe I'll give him a chance to clean up the mess."

"You think he will?" Emma asked.

"Hard to know. Maybe?" I turned back to the door and saw the rest of our little group stepping out. Noelle, then Krouse, then Theo and Dinah.

"Ooh, field trip time?" Aisha asked.

"We were gonna take Dinah out, get her some clothes and stuff," Noelle said. "I need some stuff too, so...you know, two birds one stone."

"Makes sense," I said. "Just try to keep a low profile. And...I'm gonna send you a picture. It's a map of the city. The blue section is Accord's territory. Stick to that for now." I pulled my phone out and started sending the image.

"Not sure that's a great idea..." Krouse said.

I narrowed my eyes, then nodded. "A history there, right?"

"Something they're not proud of." Tattletale said, sighing.

"They were villains. Maybe they worked for him?" Grue suggested.

"Mm. Something like that," Tattletale said.

"Would you rather have a run in with the Butcher or one of Blasto's monsters? If you run into anyone from Accord's group, just mention my name. They'll leave you alone."

Krouse still looked uncomfortable. Noelle just nodded.

"How long until your meeting?" Theo asked.

"A couple hours."

"Mind if I tag along? I...my dad kind of tried to pass down how to act in these situations, so I won't mess things up, I don't think..."

"Oh God, you're gonna bring the kid aren't you?" Alabaster asked. "He's so pathetic..."

"Oh, come on. He's trying..." Tattletale said.

"Yeah, he can try all he wants. He's still pathetic. Not a tenth of the man his father was, and never will be."

"Yeah, you can come along Theo."

He nodded, then headed back inside.

"Want us along too?" Aisha asked.

I shook my head. "I think the fewer the better. Though...if you could get some recon on the others..."

"I can look into the Teeth," Aisha said.

"I...guess I can look around Blasto's territory."

I nodded. "Okay."

I turned and headed back into the RV.

I tried to ignore the mental exhaustion that I was feeling.

I wanted to be up to speed on Accord and his people.


End file.
